Game Report 451 National Jr A Championship
PLAYED AT: Cobourg Community Centre
Date: May 21, 2017
GAME NOTES: MINERVA SCORES IN OVERTIME, COUGARS WIN RBC CUP JASON LA ROSE COBOURG, Ont. – Nick Minerva was the overtime hero, scoring 8:21 into the extra period, and the Cobourg Cougars erased a late deficit to edge the Brooks Bandits 3-2 and win the 2017 RBC Cup on Sunday night. Off a won face-off in the offensive zone, Minerva took a pass from Matt Bumstead and absolutely wired a one-timer past Brooks goaltender Mitch Benson, setting off a raucous celebration at the jam-packed Cobourg Community Centre. The Cougars are the ninth host team to claim Canada’s National Junior A Championship since the start of the tournament format in 1985, and the second in three years, joining the 2015 Portage Terriers. Brooks held a wide advantage in shots on goal in the first period, 13-4, but the game went to the first intermission tied at a goal apiece. Cobourg struck first, with Jamie Huber jumping on a turnover in the Brooks zone and playing give-and-go with Connor MacEachern before beating Benson to make it 1-0 before the clock hit four minutes. That ended a lengthy shutout streak for Benson, who had not allowed a goal in more than 169 minutes. Conner Jean pulled the Bandits even less than five minutes later on the power play, whacking a backhand past Cobourg netminder Stefano Durante after a scramble in front of the Cougars goal. Durante was the story in a scoreless second period, making 13 more saves and keeping the Bandits at bay on a trio of power-play opportunities, sending the game to the final frame even 1-1. Brooks took its first lead at 8:31 of the third period; Cale Makar kept the puck in at the blue-line and worked it down low to captain Nick Prkusic, who spun into the slot and jammed it past Durante for the 2-1 goal. It looked like that goal was going to stand up as the title-winner, and the Cougars put Durante in the bench in the dying seconds in search of a last-gasp equalizer. With Cobourg working the puck around the Bandits’ zone, Brennan Roy threw the puck towards the net, where Ryan Casselman – the Cougars’ leading point-getter during the regular season, who had yet to score in the tournament – redirected it past a screened Benson to tie the game with just 68 seconds to go and set up the heroics from Minerva. Durante capped an impressive tournament with a 41-save performance; he played every second for the Cougars, fashioning a 2.64 goals-against average and .940 save percentage, stopping 172 of 183 shots. The Chilliwack Chiefs of the British Columbia Hockey League will host the 2018 RBC Cup from May 12-20. 		Visiting Team: Brooks Bandits
 Home Team: Cobourg Cougars
BROOKS BANDITS LINEUP
Pos No.   Name
G1  Benson, Mitch
G30  Horawski, Alex
G33  Baker, Ryan
 2  Huebner, Parker
 3  Marchand, Charlie
 4  Cesana, Dennis
 5  O'Connor, Joe
 6  Pankewicz, Kord
 8  Makar, Cale
 10  Vachon, Arnaud
 11  Plessis, Nathan
 12  Jean, Conner
 13  McKechney, Josh
 15  Prkusic, Nick
 16  Carangelo, Tyler
 18  Hamre, Nic
 19  Theis, Jake
 20  Chau, Oliver
 21  D'Agostino, David
 22  Foo, Parker
 37  Mappin, Ty
BROOKS BANDITS PENALTIES
Per. No.  Min  Offence Off PP PS Start On
1st4 2:00 Tripping 17:111 17:1119:11
2nd8 2:00 Unsportsmanlike Conduct 10:44  10:4413:53
2nd18 2:00 High-Sticking 13:531 13:5315:53
3rd37 2:00 Slashing 16:411 16:4118:41
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
COBOURG COUGARS LINEUP
Pos No.   Name
G29  Durante, Stefano
G30  Menna, Matt
 4  Bumstead, Matt
 5  Minerva, Nick
 7  Roberts, Spencer
 9  MacEachern, Connor
 11  Dunn, Sam
 12  Baird, Jesse
 13  Busby, Matt
 14  McKitrick, Daniel
 16  Miranda, George
 17  Locke, Brenden
 18  Huber, Jamie
 19  Maguire, Josh
 21  Carroll, Matt
 24  Syrydiuk, Quinn
 26  Bricknell, Jake
 27  Roy, Brennan
 44  Casselman, Ryan
 72  Lewis, Theo
   
COBOURG COUGARS PENALTIES
Per. No.  Min  Offence Off PP PS Start On
1st5 2:00 Hooking 8:141 8:148:51
1st5 2:00 Interference 13:571 13:5715:57
2nd27 2:00 Tripping 0:501 0:502:50
2nd21 2:00 Cross-Checking 10:44  10:4413:53
2nd5 2:00 Interference 14:501 14:5016:50
3rd72 2:00 Boarding 3:531 3:535:53
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
BROOKS BANDITS Goals BROOKS BANDITS PLAYERS (plus) COBOURG COUGARS PLAYERS (minus)
Per. Time    G-As1-As2    
1st8:51 PP 12-22-8            
3rd11:29  15-8            
                
COBOURG COUGARS Goals COBOURG COUGARS PLAYERS (plus) BROOKS BANDITS PLAYERS (minus)
Per. Time    G-As1-As2    
1st3:56  18-9            
3rd18:53  44-27-17            
1st OT8:21  5-4-19            
POWER PLAY OPPORTUNITIES
BROOKS BANDITS 1 / 5
COBOURG COUGARS 0 / 3
PENALTY SUMMARY
BROOKS BANDITS 8 min / 4 inf
COBOURG COUGARS 12 min / 6 inf
POINT SUMMARY
BROOKS BANDITS 2 G + 3 A = 5 Pts
COBOURG COUGARS 3 G + 5 A = 8 Pts
SCORING 1 2 3 OT1 Total
BROOKS BANDITS10102
COBOURG COUGARS10113
GOALTENDER/SAVES (Time) 1 2 3 OT1 Tot. On Off
BRO - Benson (68:21) (OTL)375520/0:001st OT/8:21
COB - Durante (68:21) (W)121311541/0:001st OT/8:21
Stars of the Game TIME OF GAME:
 COB - 29 Durante  Start: 5:38 PM
 BRO - 15 Prkusic  End: 8:30 PM
  -  Attendance:  
OFFICIALS
Referee:
Referee:
Linesmen:
Linesmen:
CERTIFIED CORRECT
 
This report has been checked and verified against the Official National Jr A Championship Game Report.

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