The Sarnia Legionnaires have their backs to the wall.

Coach Jeff Perry's club dropped a heartbreaking 3-2 decision in overtime last night to fall behind the Chatham Maroons three-games-to-one in their best-of-seven series.

Three of the four contests have been decided by one goal, with two of them going into extra time.

The Western Ontario Hockey Conference quarterfinal resumes tonight in Chatham. Should the Legionnaires survive, a sixth game will be played next Thursday at the Brock Street Barn.

Sarnia took a 1-0 lead less than four minutes into the first period when Chase Clark took a cross-ice pass from Owen Rogers and rifled the puck under the crossbar from the faceoff circle. For Clark, it was his fourth goal in four post-season games. Jesse Drydak also drew an assist.

But Chatham scored the only two markers of the middle frame. Former Lambton Shores Predator Thor Skalski blinked the red light with a nice redirect from in close, and Mike MacIntyre beat Sarnia goalie Jesse Raymond with a screened shot from the point that caught the top of the net.

In the third stanza the Legionnaires missed a number of chances before Jeff Paulley came off the point and fired home the tying goal with less than two minutes left in regulation time. Drydak was credited with the lone helper on the play. For Paulley, who has been a tower of strength on the Sarnia blueline throughout the series, it was his second goal of the playoffs. He has also hit a goal post.

Chase Clark took a high sticking penalty with just four seconds to play and the Maroons capitalized with a goal early in overtime.

• Raymond stopped 35 shots in the Sarnia cage while Chatham goaltender Mike Ostropolec blocked 28 of 30 pucks he faced.

• Attendance was just under 1,000 fans.

• The Maroons were one-for-nine with the extra man, while Sarnia was one-for-six.

• Chatham's Gabe Gervais was first star, while Drydak was second and Clark third.