Mid-ice showdown.
Anthony Rea of the Renfrew Timberwolves, left, closes in on the Almonte Thunder's Drake Clancy as referee Adam Brown keeps a close eye on the action at the Renfrew's Ma-Te-Way Activity Centre Sunday night. The game ended in a 5-5- tie.
Chris Couper
The Renfrew Timberwolves broke their nine-game losing skid in the Eastern Ontario Junior Hockey League with a 4-2 win over the Ottawa Junior Canadians at the Ma-Te-Way Activity Centre Friday night.
Although they couldn’t follow it up with a victory Sunday evening, a 5-5 deadlock with the Almonte Thunder wasn’t the worst result.
The Pontiac Junior and Stittsville Royals were both kind enough to each lose twice over the weekend.
While still in last place, the 5-11-and-1 Wolves trail the above noted two teams by just a single point in the Valley Division standings.
Wolves 4, Ottawa 2
After allowing a pair of one-goal leads to get away earlier in the contest, the Wolves refused to lay down.
Scott Conroy broke a 2-2 deadlock when he solved Canadians netminder Dominic Plaschy for his goal second of the night 1:53 into the third period.
The Wolves got some welcomed insurance when, parked off the lip of the goalcrease on a Renfrew powerplay, Kurtis Leclaire tucked the puck into the open side of the cage.
It was a bit of a revenge for Leclaire, who was robbed by Plaschy a minute before.
Jesse Riopelle had a first-period marker for the Wolves.
Eric Ferguson and Jamie Molinski answered for Ottawa.
Troy Gauthier’s best stop may have been a glove stab of a Sebastien Dubus snapshot late in the opening stanza. Gauthier was solid throughout in the Renfrew goalcrease. But the Wolves gave him a fighting chance, limiting the Canadians to 21 shots in possibly Renfrew’s best defensive effort of the season.
The Wolves had 34 shots.
Wolves 5, Almonte 5
Both teams left the rink muttering, “How did we not win this game.”
The Wolves worked to gain the valuable point, overcoming deficits of 1-0 in the first period, 3-1 in the second, and 5-3 in the third.
The overtime was one of the most exciting five-minute regular-season extra-time sessions you’ll see.
The shots were 8-5 Almonte, and that doesn’t include a goalpost the Wolves hit in the dying seconds off a 3-on-1 break.
A Thunder defender then scooped up the rebound, and spotted a teammate with a stretch pass.
Drake Clancy went in alone, but couldn’t beat Troy Gauthier, who earned the start after his performance against Ottawa two nights before.
That was one of at least four breakaway stops Gauthier made, including a penalty shot off Almonte captain Aaron MacCosham in the opening period.
Both goaltenders were scintillating for a 5-5 game. Almonte’s Chad Hetherington faced 45 shots and Gauthier 39.
Luke Lapierre had a hat trick to pace the Wolves. Jared Riopelle and newcomer Jordan Dempster counted singles.
MacCosham had two goals and two assists to lead the Thunder.
A thrilling third-period saw the teams combine for four goals in a 1:16 span just past the eight-minute mark to go from 3-3 to 5-5.
MacCosham and Derek Lowry connected 12 seconds apart, and then Lapierre and Dempster pulled the Wolves even with goals in 23 seconds.
The Wolves are in Perth Friday night at 7:45 p.m.
The Gatineau Mustangs pay their annual visit to the MAC Sunday at 7 p.m.
Tuesday night
Renfrew’s momentum build-up from the weekend was quickly diminished by the Ottawa Junior Canadians in a rematch at the Brian Kilrea (Canterbury) Arena.
The homestanding Metro Division squad punctured the Wolves tires 7-2 Tuesday.
David Kilrea – grandson of the man for whom the rink is named after – led Ottawa with a pair of goals.
Brad Clouthier had both Renfrew tallies on Jesse Riopelle setups.
Renfrew native Drew Anderson had one helper for the Wolves. An assistant captain with the Ottawa Junior Senators, Anderson suited up, which will allow him to sign with the Wolves as an overager should he choose to do so next year.
Troy Gauthier got the start but left the game in favour of Richard Barr following Ottawa’s sixth goal midway through the final session.
Brandon Billie blocked 34 shots in the win.
The Canadians led 3-1 and 4-2 at the period intervals.