Photo: Matt Murnaghan/Hockey Canada Images
COBOURG, ON – Ty Mappin (Big Valley, AB) scored the overtime winner on a sensational diagonal pass from Dennis Cesana (Providence, RI) as the Brooks Bandits (2-0) came back from a 1-0 third period deficit to down the Penticton Vees (0-0-1) by a 2-1 score at the 2017 RBC Cup national championship tournament on Sunday afternoon.
The win puts the Bandits in first place in the RBC Cup round robin standings after two days, with three points for their regulation win over Terrebonne yesterday, plus two points for the overtime win over Penticton, and all but assures Brooks of a spot in next Saturday’s tournament semi-finals, as no team has ever missed the semis after recording 2 wins at an RBC round robin.
The game was a rematch of an equally dramatic group stage game at the Western Canada Cup in Penticton, which also saw Brooks rebound from a late deficit to down the Vees, though that time it was in a shootout.
Penticton’s first goal came in inauspicious circumstances for Brooks, when a centering feed by Riley Risling came in front of the Bandit net, deflecting off the stick of Parker Foo (Edmonton, AB) whose attempt to clear the puck instead slid by goalie Mitch Benson (Windsor, ON) for the opening goal. It would be the only defensive blemish for Brooks on the night.
After being outshot 8-6 in the first, the Bandits held Penticton to just five shots in the second period despite being put on the penalty kill five separate times, outshooting the Vees 9-5, but failing to beat goalie Mat Robson, who made a sprawling right pad save on a last minute Tyler Carangelo (Hamden, CT) breakaway chance.
But on a brief power play to open the third, Foo found redemption when Cale Makar (Calgary, AB) faked a point shot, swept his way around a sliding Penticton defender, and fired a shot that Robson saved; but Foo whacked home the rebound into the top left corner to knot the game up at 1-1 and force overtime.
After outshooting the Vees 12-7 in the third, the Bandits held a 6-1 shot lead in the extra frame, with the sixth coming on Mappin’s winner. After being fed by Mappin at neutral ice, Cesana carried to the right point and fed a perfect pass across that found the Bandit leading regular season scorer at the left side of the net for a one-time tap-in, sending the Bandits streaming off the bench to mob the alternate captain in the right corner of the Penticton zone.
Final shots in the game were 33-21 in favour of Brooks, which has an off day Monday before resuming round robin play on Tuesday afternoon against the Dudley Hewitt Cup champion Trenton Golden Hawks. Puck drop is scheduled for 1:30 PM Alberta time with pre-game coverage beginning at 1:00 PM on Real Country 105.7.