Plymouth captures OHL championship

NEWS RELEASE

ONTARIO HOCKEY LEAGUE

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Whalers Clinch the Rogers Championship Series

By Brad Young

Sudbury – The Sudbury Community Centre was at full capacity on Sunday night for Game six of the Rogers Championship Series as the Wolves battled the Whalers in front of their hometown faithful.

The fans were charged up and out of their seats early in the first period as they cheered on their Wolves with the hopes that Sudbury could draw even in the series and force a Game seven. End-to-end action continued throughout the first period, but the score remained dead-locked with goaltender’s Sebastian Dahm and Michal Neuvirth making some brilliant saves.

Justin Donati opened the second period scoring for the Wolves after netting his 14th goal of the playoffs, 29 seconds into the period. Andrew Self and Nick Foligno assisted Donati’s goal.

The Wolves top line of Donati, Self and Foligno created a number of scoring opportunities in the second period, but Neuvirth stood tall.

The physical play picked up in the second period with both teams finishing their checks at any given opportunity; however, the Wolves took back-to-back penalties to close out the second period.

The Whalers capitalized on the two-man advantage 18 seconds into the third period when Tom Sestito deflected a point shot from Evan Brophey to tie the game. The goal was Sestito’s 11th of the playoffs and first of the series. James Neal was also credited with an assist.

Sestito’s goal proved to be the momentum swing the Whalers were looking for as Plymouth’s special teams struck again on the power play at the 6:15 mark of the third period after Sean O’Connor scored his seventh goal of the post-season. Jared Boll and Daniel Ryder were credited with the assists.

The Wolves bounced back when Foligno scored Sudbury’s first power play goal of the game at the 13:25 mark of the third period. Foligno found the five-hole on Neuvirth to draw the Wolves even in the game. Jonathan D’Aversa and Justin Donati picked up the assists on Foligno’s goal.

The chants of “Go Wolves Go” echoed throughout the Sudbury Community Centre as Sudbury fans stood and waved their white towels in support of their team. The intensity of the game picked up after the Foligno goal with both teams gunning for the game-winner. However, extra time would be needed to declare a victor in Game 6.

Sean O’Connor broke free along the right side wall and drove to the net causing netminder Sebastian Dahm to slide out of position as O’Connor found James Neal open in the slot for the winning goal at the 3:22 mark of the extra frame. The overtime goal was Neal’s 13th of the playoffs and was arguably the biggest goal of the series as the Plymouth Whalers defeated the Sudbury Wolves 3-2. Evan Brophey also assisted on Neal’s winning goal.

The win clinched the Rogers Championship Series for the Whalers as they knocked off the Sudbury Wolves in six games. OHL Commissioner, David Branch first presented the Wayne Gretzky 99 Award to Marc Staal of the Sudbury Wolves as the MVP of the series. Commissioner Branch then presented the J. Ross Robertson Cup to Captain Steve Ward of the Plymouth Whalers as the Whalers celebrated their OHL Championship.

Fans in attendance, along with people watching or listening from home were treated to the best OHL hockey of the playoffs with both teams putting it all on the line in this epic final.

The Plymouth Whalers won’t have long to celebrate the win as the team will travel to Vancouver this week to represent the OHL at the 2007 MasterCard Memorial Cup. The Whalers will join the Lewiston MAINEiacs of the QMJHL, along with the Medicine Hat Tigers and the host Vancouver Giants of the WHL in the quest for the 2007 MasterCard Memorial Cup. The tournament round-robin opens on Friday, May 18, 2007.

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