NACI Tigers fall in OT to Golden Bears

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NACI Tigers fall in OT to Golden Bears

Details: Published on Tuesday, February 14, 2017

By Eoin Devereux

The Neepawa Press/Neepawa Banner

A monumental effort by the entire NACI Tigers came up just a bit short on Saturday, Feb. 11, falling in overtime to the Virden Golden Bears 5-4, in the Westman High School Hockey League. This game was a huge one for both teams, as the winner would jump into sixth place in the standings, while the loser would end up in the eighth spot heading into the playoffs. The night started with some exciting back and forth action, as Tysne Stanski and Alex Woloski scored early for the Tigers. Virden potted three goals of their own in the first 20 minutes to take the lead.

Ben Rainka scored a tremendous goal in the second period, as he fought off a Virden defender and powered the puck past the five-hole of the goaltender. As the second period progressed, things got much more chippy and undisciplined, with both teams pushing the limits of what was permissible. That ended up sending Tigers player Ryan Kostenchuk to the showers early, as he was assessed what could only be called, a borderline game misconduct just before the end of the second.

For the third, Virden came out with a strong effort, but couldn’t find success. As the period drew to a close, the Golden Bears began slowing down, while the Tigers continued to push the pace, searching for an equalizer. Then with just over 11 minutes remaining, Landon Young put away the game tying goal, sending the home crowd into a frenzy. Both teams finished off the rest of regulation with a greater sense of urgency, realizing an easier playoff path was at stake.

The five minute overtime session started with Neepawa nearly ending it by hitting a shot off the post just 10 seconds in. From there, Virden grabbed the puck and headed to the other end of the ice for their own chance at victory. That effort ultimately was successful, as they put away the game winner just 32 seconds into overtime. The win secured sixth spot for Virden and a date with Birtle in the first round of the playoffs. NACI meanwhile has a tougher challenge, as they met the first place Killarney/Wawanesa Raiders. Playoff dates for that series will appear in the next edition of the Neepawa Banner.