Vipers edge Maroons 4-3 in Game 2

The Vipers scored a narrow 4-3 victory over the Chatham Maroons Thursday night, giving LaSalle a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven quarter-final playoff series.

During Wednesday night’s game, the Maroons jumped out with an early lead, but it was the Vipers’ turn Thursday night. LaSalle scored at the 4:06 mark with the Maroons’ David Brown (1) tying the game at 15:53. Brayden Degelas and Joel Fonovic picked up the assists.

With one second left on the clock, Connor Paronuzzi gave the Maroons a 2-1 lead. Owen Kelp (1) and Rorey Elson (3) assisted on the goal that gave the Maroons and their fans reason to cheer going into the first intermission.

Chatham outshot LaSalle with the Maroons goaltender Brett Fullarton stopping eight of nine shots and the Vipers’ Ian Michelone stopping eight of 10, as the two goalies went head to head for the second night in a row. Neither team scored on their single power play opportunities.

LaSalle capitalized on an early Chatham penalty in the second period, scoring at 1:30 and stopping the momentum built up by the first-period buzzer-beater.

Brayden Degelas restored the one-goal lead for Chatham at the 4:19 mark of the second period, with Fonovic picking up his second assist of the game.

At 12:50, the Vipers tied the game at 3-3, with both teams taking 14 shots each.

In the third, the Maroons failed to convert on two power plays and the Vipers scored the game-winning goal at the six-minute mark. The Maroons pulled their netminder late in the frame but couldn’t score the goal that would have sent the game into overtime.

LaSalle also outshot Chatham 11-9, giving them a 34-33 advantage over the three periods played.

The Maroons will hopefully get a boost when they get Liam Doyle back after serving the final game of his four-game suspension. Doyle is the Maroons’ top rookie scorer and third in team scoring with 13 goals and 32 assists in 47 games.

Game 3 of the playoff series will be played Sunday, March 5 at Memorial Arena with puck drop at 7 p.m.

The Maroons have also announced that they have extended their “Show Us Your Sign” campaign to include Sunday night’s game. Prizes will again be awarded during the first intermission of the game.