2018 TELUS Cup

LAPOINTE IS OT HERO, CANTONNIERS ADVANCE TO TELUS FINAL

OLIVIA BULLEN

SUDBURY, Ont. – Jérémy Lapointe scored the winner 7:14 into overtime, giving the Cantonniers de Magog a 5-4 extra-time win over the Lethbridge Hurricanes in semifinal action Saturday at the 2018 TELUS Cup.

The Cantonniers will face the Notre Dame Hounds in the gold medal game Sunday, in search of their first national championship since 2000.

With time ticking away in the first overtime, Lapointe corralled a puck at the blue-line and let go a wrist shot that found its way through traffic and past Lethbridge goaltender Carl Teteachuk for the game-winner, finishing a back-and-forth game.

Magog opened the scoring when Simon Pinard buried a Zackiel Couture rebound less than seven minutes in, but Lethbridge answered only 52 seconds later – and just eight seconds into a power play; Ronan Seeley and Kadyn Chabot set up Carson Dyck in the slot for the 1-1 goal.

The Hurricanes capitalized on another power play late in the period, with precision puck movement leading to a Zack Stringer tip-in and a 2-1 Lethbridge lead.

This time it was the Cantonniers who answered quickly, with Olivier Picard hammering a one-timer past Tetachuk off a Loïc Bergeron feed to send the game to the intermission tied 2-2.

Magog struck on the power play to retake the lead in the second period. William Villeneuve set up Charles Beaudoin, who beat Tetachuk high on the blocker side.

But again the Hurricanes would respond; Keegan McDowell picked up the puck off a blocked shot before spinning in slot and beating Magog netminder Olivier Adam with a quick shot.

The Canntoniers once again relied on special teams to take their third lead of the game, getting a power-play goal from Jacob Dion at 8:50 of the final period to go ahead 4-3.

Zack Stringer forced the extra period with just 1:55 left, driving to the net and tucking a shot around Adam.

The loss means the Hurricanes will play for the bronze medal on Sunday afternoon, taking on the Toronto Young Nationals (2 p.m. ET). The Pacific Region has not won a medal since the Okanagan Rockets took bronze in 2014, its longest drought ever.