LAURIE WEIR
The Smiths Falls Rideaus refused to back down Sunday, March 30, fighting their way to a thrilling 5–4 overtime victory over the North Dundas Rockets to even the Eastern Ontario Senior Hockey League (EOSHL) final series at one game apiece.
Fuelled by a raucous crowd of more than 1,000 fans at the Smiths Falls Memorial Community Centre, the Rideaus showed grit, hustle and a touch of finesse as they fought off the relentless Rockets in a back-and-forth barnburner.
North Dundas struck first, drawing blood late in the opening period with Jack Nevins burying one from Michael McNamee at 15:25. But the Rideaus didn’t blink.
Devin Cobbold answered at 11:42, finishing a slick play from Eric Witzel to get the home crowd buzzing. Then, with the clock ticking down, Tate Leeson lit the lamp with just one second left in the period, taking a crisp feed from Theo Todd to give Smiths Falls a 2–1 edge after 20 minutes.
The Rockets came out flying in the second, potting two unanswered markers — Mitchell Gibson from Doug Harvey and Shawn Moors at 14:37, then Moors again at 4:50, this time from Fabian Walsh and Gibson — to snatch a 3–2 lead.
But the Rideaus weren’t done. Cobbold struck again at 3:43, hammering home his second of the night with help from Spenser Cobbold and Nathan Slack to knot the score at three.
The deadlock held until the third, when Witzel put the Rideaus ahead at 4:16, thanks to the Cobbold connection — Devin and Spenser.
North Dundas responded once more, capitalizing on a power-play opportunity. McNamee notched the tying goal to force sudden death.
That’s when Nathan Slack played the hero. Just over a minute into OT, he roofed the game winner off a sweet set-up from Brett Costello and Leeson, sealing the 5–4 win and sending the Smiths Falls faithful into a frenzy.
Stars of the game included Devin Cobbold with two goals and three assists; Nathan Slack with a goal and a helper; and McNamee, who kept North Dundas in it with a goal and an assist of his own.
Between the pipes, Dallas Slack turned away 39 shots to earn the win, while Matt Jenkins made 29 saves for the Rockets.
The series now shifts to Chesterville for what promises to be another hard-hitting, high-tempo tilt as the battle for the Allen Cup rages on. Game 3 of the best-of-five final is set for Saturday, April 5 at 2 p.m.
