Thunder can clinch at home Friday
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Valentine's Night at the Kinsmen Memorial Arena?
Tillsonburg Thunder host Goderich Pirates Friday night at 8:30 p.m. in Game 4 of their WOAA South Division Quarter Finals series.
Tillsonburg travelled to Goderich for back-to-back games on the weekend, winning 13-1 Friday and 7-3 Saturday. The Thunder, 21-3 in the regular season, had won their senior men's hockey playoff opener 10-1 on home ice and now are one win away from clinching the best-of-seven series.
Goderich managed just 13 shots Friday night, 10 of them coming in the third period. Shane Balcomb helped lead the Thunder offence with a hat trick, scoring once in each period, and added two assists for a five-point night. Devin Homick had a pair of goals and three assists in a nearly penalty-free game.
After peppering Goderich goalie Keith Columba with 47 shots Friday night, Tillsonburg increased the shot total to 53 against goalie Dave Riddell Saturday.
Chris McGuffin's two goals led the Thunder in Game 3. Ryan Pottruff and Pat Ouellet each had a pair of assists.
Tempers flared in the first period when Goderich's Jamie Aikin instigated a fight with Tillsonburg's Justin Salt resulting in multiple misconduct penalties shared among four players. More misconducts were handed out in the second and third periods.
In other South Division playoff series third-place Komoka Classics have already finished their series against Monkton. Tavistock leads Milverton 2-1 and Clinton is up 3-1 against Petrolia.
Game 2
Tillsonburg 13, Goderich 1
FIRST PERIOD
16:57 Tillsonburg, Kevin Galerno (Justin Salt)
15:34 Tillsonburg, Shane Balcomb (Brad Jones, Devin Homick)
3:37 Tillsonburg, Ryan Gaertner (Ryan Potruff, Pat Ouellet)
SECOND PERIOD
14:04 Tillsonburg, Adam Wallace (Kevin Galerno)
10:21 Tillsonburg, Curtis Maracle (Shane Baclomb, Cody Vinnai)
5:41 Goderich
3:35 Tillsonburg, Shane Balcomb (Terry Lammens, Devin Homick)
2:47 Tillsonburg, Kevin Galerno (Adam Vandepoele, Pat Ouellet)
2:34 Tillsonburg, Mike Findlay (Christian Babb, Curtis Maracle)
THIRD PERIOD
19:33 Tillsonburg, Shane Balcomb (Devin Homick, Terry Lammens)
9:40 Tillsonburg, Devin Homick (Curtis Maracle, Adam Wallace)
9:21 Tillsonburg, Chris McGuffin (Jason Skinner, Ryan Gaertner)
5:25 Tillsonburg, Devin Homick (Shane Balcomb, Brad Streib)
1:30 Tillsonburg, Christian Babb (Adam Wallace, Jason Skinner)
Game 3
Tillsonburg 7, Goderich 3
FIRST PERIOD
9:13 Tillsonburg, Justin Salt (Adam Vandepoele, Kevin Galerno)
8:37 Tillsonburg, Adam Vandepoele (Kevin Galerno)
7:36 Tillsonburg, Christian Babb (Ryan Pottruff, Pat Ouellet)
SECOND PERIOD
19:39 Tillsonburg, Chris McGuffin (Ryan Pottruff, Pat Ouellet)
16:50 Tillsonburg, Chris McGuffin (Devin Homick, Shane Balcomb)
12:13 Goderich
5:28 Tillsonburg, Ryan Pottruff (Kevin Galerno)
THIRD PERIOD
18:57 Goderich
13:29 Tillsonburg, Brad Jones (Shane Balcomb, Tyler Lamb)
1:01 Goderich