Ethan O’Rourke scored with less than half a minute left in regulation, as Team Black edged Team White 5-4 in the fifth annual Rob Charney Cup at the CN Centre.
On their third power-play of the game, Team Black’s O’Rourke busted down the middle and redirected Radovan Bondra’s pass up and over the goalie’s shoulder. It was Black’s third power-play goal, as the power-play was red-hot, going three-for-three.
Ryan Schoettler scored twice for Black while Bondra and Kody McDonald also found the back of the net for the champions. Monday’s win marked the fifth straight championship for Cougars’ scout Lyle Feser. Rumours post-game hinted at a possible retirement from behind the bench for Feser, as he ponders about “going out on top.”
Reid Perepeluk, Brendan Boyle, Aaron Boyd and Brogan O’Brien scored for Team White, which squandered four separate one-goal leads.
Team White opened the scoring when Perepeluk darted down the left-wing, taking the defenceman wide, before sliding the puck through the goalie’s legs near the goal-line at 13:44.
Team Black tied it not long after, as Bondra slid in a rebound on his team’s first power-play at 16:37.
White went ahead again early in the second, as Brendan Boyle ripped a shot high over the glove at 2:45. But just like in the first, Team Black had an answer for that goal.
Ryan Schoettler scored his first of two on the night midway through the middle stanza when he squeezed a shot from the slot underneath the goalie’s glove at 10:12.
Five-minutes after that goal, it was White grabbing the lead once more and it was Aaron Boyd bulging the twine. Boyd, who had a strong showing on the weekend, danced down the right-side before firing a dart up underneath the bar at 15:03 to make it 3-2. Team White’s celebration was quickly muted.
Team Black’s Kody McDonald camped himself out front of Team White’s net and tipped in Shane Collins’ points shot just 19-seconds after Boyd’s goal.
Team White started the third period just like they started the first two periods and that’s with a goal. Brogan O’Brien grabbed a loose puck, turned and put a quick wrist-shot between the goalie’s glove and the post 47-seconds into the frame.
Team Black, like the previous three goals, had an answer for the fourth, as they tied it up five and a half minutes into the third period. Schoettler picked up the puck at centre ice, skated down the middle and buzzed a shot off the cross-bar and in.
Late in the game drama was brewing as both teams took penalties. First, it was Team Black going down a man in a 4-4 tie, but Team White also had penalty trouble, as they took themselves off the power-play after a 4-minute high sticking penalty.
Team Black’s power-play kicked in with just under two-minutes left and in the dying moments, it was the veterans manufacturing the game-winner. From the boards on the left-wing, Bondra spotted O’Rourke in the middle and threaded the needle for the tip-in.
Final Score: 5-4 Team Black
Shots: 43-35 Team Black
Power-Plays: Team Black 3-3 Team White 0-1
The Cougars would also like to recognize defenceman Shane Collins who prior to puck drop Monday was named the 2017 Mountain Lion Award Winner. The Mountain Lion Award is handed out annually to the Cougar who performs the best in all of pre-camp physical testing. It was the second straight year Collins has won the award.
