Heading to the finals: Eagles soar to victory in triple overtime

Heading to the finals: Eagles soar to victory in triple overtime

By RYAN COOKE

Despite the best efforts of Lewisporte Lynx goaltender Drew Manuel, the Exploits Valley High Eagles are heading to the Central High School Hockey League finals.

In what was certainly the most thrilling game of the season for both teams, the Eagles managed to trump the Lynx 4-3 in triple overtime of the third and final game of the series.

Team captain Brandon Jewer scored in sixth and final frame, propelling the Eagles to the final series against the Gander Concordes.

Despite the Eagles clinching the series in front of a large home crowd, it was Manuel who stole the show for the Lynx, turning aside an astounding 69 shots.

Jewer said his team never lost confidence, but was battling exhaustion after battering 71 shots on goal over the first five periods.

“In the dressing before the third overtime, our second line said to us ‘you guys have got to score. We don’t know if we can play anymore’”.

And so Jewer took that request to the ice.

“We’re scoring right now,” he said to linemate Cody Drover, just before the drop of the puck.

Sixteen seconds later, they did exactly that.

For the majority of regulation, nobody could have guessed the game would go on as long as it did.

After falling behind 2-0 early in the first on goals by Shawn Loveridge and Tyler Marsh, the Lynx seemed down and out. However, Manuel managed to stifle the Eagles while his team slowly rallied around him.

Johnny Canning would score for the Lynx late in the second to make it 2-1 heading into the third, where Jordan Freake would tie it up on a feed from Nathan Hill just under five minutes in.

With momentum building for the Lynx, Shawn Loveridge would once again take the wind out of their sails with a go-ahead goal just two minutes later.

However, the pesky Lynx would once again battle back despite being badly outshot.

After a pair of penalties put the teams four-on-four, Trevor Layte knotted the game up once again with just 5:32 remaining in the third period.

And then the Drew Manuel show really began.

The first overtime was marked by end-to-end rushes from both sides, including a breakaway for Drover, the Newfoundland Major Midget AAA MVP, that Manuel briskly turned aside.

The second overtime began with the shots reading 52-26, and the Eagles continued to pour it on. They piled up 19 more shots in the period, plus two hit goalposts that left the hometown crowd in agony. But they still couldn’t find a way to solve Manuel.

That is, until the third overtime.

Right off the opening face-off, the Eagles rushed the puck in over the line. Drover handed the puck off to his defenceman as Jewer headed for the net. A blocked shot on goal put the puck in prime real estate for Jewer to net the game winning goal.

“The puck was just lying there for me, and I managed to put it in,” Jewer said.

Jewer credits his team for putting in all-out effort for six periods of play. He also thanks the fans for rooting them on through fatigue, and the coaches for getting them this far.

And as for Gander…

“We’ll beat them in two games,” Jewer says with confidence.

EVH forward Cody Drover is turned aside on a breakaway by Manuel in the first overtime period. Ryan Cooke photo.

Eagles captain Brandon Jewer beats a Lynx defenceman to a loose puck, banging it home in the third overtime period. Ryan Cooke photo.

 Eagles players pile on top of their captain after he scores the winning goal in a thrilling game that saw three overtime periods. Ryan Cooke photo.

 Eagles goalie Jordan Bennett shakes the hand of Lynx goalie Drew Manuel, who turned aside 69 shots in the 4-3 loss. Ryan Cooke photo.

The Eagles raise their sticks in salute of Lynx goaltender Drew Manuel. Ryan Cooke photo.