Phantoms force game seven

BRACEBRIDGE - The Bracebridge Phantoms have dug themselves out of a 0-2 hole and forced game seven in their best-of-seven, semifinal series against the Temiscaming Titans, but now have a mountain to climb.
With several suspensions levied after game five March 15 and several key injuries, the Phantoms will have to do it with only 13 skaters dressed, like they did March 17.
Game seven went last night in Temiscaming, results too late for press time, but general manager and team owner Tim Dickieson is confident his crew still has the legs to finish the series off after six games of back-and-forth battles.
“I’m a little frustrated right now with how things have gone after that game (March 15) but I simply couldn’t ask any more of the guys; everybody played their hearts out and everyone played well,” Dickieson said. “With only 13 players dressed to their 21, it was simply one of the best performances I’ve ever seen a hockey team play (on March 17).”
The series began with two straight victories in Temiscaming by the Titans followed by two straight in Bracebridge by the Phantoms, thanks in large part Nemanja Vucurevic who scored the winner in a thrilling 5-4 overtime victory March 14, backed by a ruckus home crowd.
On March 15, knotted at two apiece, the series returned to Temiscaming where the Titans soundly hammered the first-year expansion Phantoms in an 8-2 final that saw Vucurevic stay hot, scoring the team’s two goals in the loss before he was levied a suspension. Six Titans’ goals in the second period put game five quickly out of reach, but facing elimination in March 17’s return engagement to Bracebridge, the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League north division’s second-seeded Phantoms mustered at least one more win against the top-seeded Temiscaming Titans to force game seven.
Like the back-and-forth series, game six played out the same with each team putting up three goals by the end of the second. Phantoms Jachym Suchanek and Lester Brown got their team on the board in the first and Shawn Watson added the Phantom’s third just 50 seconds into the middle frame. The Titans managed one goal in the first and added two more in the second for the two-all knot heading to the third period with the Phantoms’ season on the line.
Brown got to play the hero for the Phantoms this time, scoring eight minutes into the third and again in the final minute to ice the game 5-3 in the Phantom’s favour, and forcing the game seven return to Temiscaming.
The game was marred by bad blood, spilling over from the game in Temiscaming March 15. Dickieson said the team’s bus got rammed during that game by another vehicle, hot coffee and cans of beer were thrown at the Phantom players along with “racial slurs” and after some on-ice fisticuffs, five players were suspended from the Phantoms, including Vucurevic and one of the key team leaders Michael Spacek. Dickieson said those suspensions are under review, but if not settled quickly, the Phantoms may not see them return this season and would have to continue on with only the 13 dressed players.
In the south division final, Orangeville has been swept out in four straight by the still-undefeated Bradford Rattlers, who now await the winner from the north to see who will face off for the Russell Cup.

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