2017 RBC Cup

MAGUIRE SCORES IN OT, LEADS COUGARS TO RBC-OPENING WIN

JASON LA ROSE

COBOURG, Ont. – Josh Maguire opened the scoring late in the first period and closed it 3:54 into overtime, sending the host Cobourg Cougars to a 3-2 win over the Trenton Golden Hawks to finish the opening day of competition Saturday at the 2017 RBC Cup.

Off a won face-off in the defensive zone, Nick Minerva carried the puck the length of the ice before firing a low wrist shot on Trenton goaltender Chris Janzen. The rebound ended up in the slot on the stick of Maguire, who easily tapped in the game-winner.

The Cougars, who are the first host team to win their opener in an extra period since the Dauphin Kings in 2010, gained a measure of revenge after being swept by the Golden Hawks in the OJHL semifinals.

Maguire missed that series after suffering a broken hand in the Cougars’ quarter-final against the Wellington Dukes, but didn’t show any rust after more than 50 days off.

With the seconds ticking away in scoreless first period, Jake Bricknell poked the puck over to Maguire, who snapped a shot past the glove of Janzen to send the Cougars to the intermission up 1-0.

Trenton needed less than two minutes of the second period to respond; a neutral-zone turnover led to a rush the other way, and Anthony Sorrentino went five-hole on Cobourg netminder Stefano Durante to get the Golden Hawks even.

Matt Carroll restored the Cougars lead late in the middle frame, poking in a loose puck on the power play at 17:27 to give the hosts a 2-1 lead after 40 minutes.

They looked to be on their way to a win before a late hooking call to Matt Bumstead put the Golden Hawks on the power play, and Jeremy Pullara jammed it past Durante at the side of the net to tie the game with 4:27 left and set up the Maguire heroics in overtime.

The game was the first between two teams from the OJHL at Canada’s National Junior A Championship since the Orillia Travelways routed the Aurora Tigers 11-3 in the preliminary round at the 1985 Centennial Cup.

Cobourg will enjoy an off day Sunday before returning to the ice Monday night to face the Penticton Vees in the lone game of the day (7:30 p.m. ET), while the Golden Hawks will look to rebound against the Cobras de Terrebonne on Sunday night (7:30 p.m. ET).