After beating the previously undefeated
LCCVI Lancers in the LSSAA boys hockey
finals, the Northern Vikings took
Chatham-Kent to the extra frame in the
SWOSSAAA semi-finals yesterday.
Thanks to a goal by Ben Sokol the Vikings
will advance to the SWOSSAA finals, with a
5-4 decision.
"I just followed my shot to the net and was
able to bang it in," Sokol said after the
game.
"(When the players jumped on me) It felt
really good. Then it got really heavy."
Sokol fired a shot at CK starter Gavin Lane
just past the 6:30 mark of overtime.
The Northern forwards shot hit Lane in the
mask and fell to the ice. Sokol drove hard
to the net an banged it in. Tyler Annett
picked up the lone assists.
"He doesn't score the prettiest goals,"
Northern head coach Chris Edgar said of
Sokol. "But he goes to the net hard and
works every game."
The Vikings actually allowed the first goal
of the game.
Cam Ross of CK scored early in the second
period. Lucas Stanicope made it a two goal
lead for the visitors with 2:37 left in the
second. Dac Hiller got Northern on the board
just seconds later with Zack Anderson and
Ryan Dayman picking up the helpers. With
just 21 seconds left in the second frame
Cody Stout fired one home to tie the game.
Annett and Steve Farlow picked up helpers.
Elliot Pecora put Northern up for the first
time in the game late in the third. Allister
Brown set Pecora up.
But undeterred, CK forward Aric Roy slid one
under the pad of Chris Clark, who started in
the Northern goal, sending the game to
overtime.
Northern controlled play in overtime, firing
shots from every angle. The lone CK
chance had in the extra frame was on a loose
puck. Clark and a CK player met the puck at
the same time.
The puck just bounced over Clark's stick but
the CK player was unable to put it in the
net.
"Your heart stops," Edgar said of the play.
"All you are thinking is don't go in. Just
get the bounce."
And his team did get the bounce after Sokol
managed to fire home the winner.
Northern will now play the Windsor
representative next week in the SWOSSAA
finals at the Clearwater Arena.
Date and time to be announced.
