Mitch Calvert
Their backs truly are against the wall now.
The Fort Frances Jr. Sabres face a 3-1 deficit in their best-of-seven semi-final series with the Thunder Bay Bearcats after a heart-breaking 3-2 overtime loss last night at the Ice for Kids Arena here.
The black-and-red overcame two one-goal deficits during regulation time before a controversial goal by Kyle Tront in the extra session salted away the victory and left a bitter taste in the Sabres’ mouths.
Tront stepped out from behind the net and threw a backhand on goal that Sabres’ goalie Ryan Faragher appeared to keep out of the net, but the officials confirmed it had crossed the line before Faragher emerged with it in his glove.
The Sabres were dejected as they left the ice and many of the 600 in attendance stayed around to serenade the referee with boos.
Brendan Baumgartner and Kyle Turgeon scored for the Sabres while Tyler Miller and Brad Pawlowski netted the Bearcats’ other goals.
After losing the first two games of the series in Thunder Bay, the Sabres got into the win column here Saturday night with a 3-1 victory.
Graham Dyck opened the scoring when he chipped a rebound into the open cage with 40 seconds left in the first.
Baumgartner then added to the lead in the second when he was allowed to step into a slapshot from the slot that beat Bearcats’ goalie Drew Strandberg five-hole.
Chris Kitt got the Bearcats within one early in the third when he converted on a cross-crease pass by Miller, but Mario Boivin iced the win with an empty-netter in the final minute.
Logan McDonell left the bench after the final buzzer to come to the aid of Sabres’ captain Chris Sinclair, but the decision also cost head coach Wayne Strachan a game behind the bench as he was forced to watch last night’s match-up from the press box.
The Sabres will look to fend off elimination in Game 5 tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. (EDT) in Thunder Bay.
Game 6, if necessary, will return to the Ice for Kids Arena on Thursday at 7:30 p.m., with a possible Game 7 back in Thunder Bay on Saturday night.
