The Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League (GMHL) North Division Semifinals between the Bradford Bulls and the Bradford Rattlers went to a decisive Game 5 on Monday, in a rare afternoon match-up.
Those who were able to come out to the BWG Leisure Centre to watch the “Battle of Bradford” saw the Bulls, ranked third in the regular season, mount a determined and effective offensive against the second-place Rattlers – taking Game 5, and the series.
The Bulls lost their first two games, and were facing elimination before they found their groove, with solid passing, masterly interceptions, and brilliant defense by the team’s defenders and goalie Travis Smith (#30), to come back and force a Game 5.
The Rattlers were first on the scoreboard, in a fast-paced first period – with Michael Hill (#91) scoring 5:42 into the frame, from #55 Tikhon Ashikhmin and #2 Oleg Grishatov on the power play.
Less than 10 minutes later, it was the Bulls’ turn to score a power play goal, by Gage Janse (#7) with helpers to Michael Stolf (#11) and Nicholas Rotatore (#9).
The 1-1 tie lasted until the final three minutes of the period, when the Rattlers took a 2-1 lead, thanks to a break-away goal by #13 Vadim Frolor. #18 Florian Schaller had the assist.
That was the end of the scoring until the second period, when both teams mounting furious assaults on the opposition's net – and both Smith and Rattlers’ #1 Andrei Berezinsky delivered save after save.
Bulls tied it up again with 14:13 left on the clock, on a goal by Stolf from River Gull (#12) and Janse.
The score remained tied at 2-all for the remainder of the second period, despite increasingly determined attacks by both sides, and increasingly physical action, with plenty of body-checking and hard hits.
The hits and the action continued in the third, with huge saves by netminders Berezinsky and Smith, until about six minutes into the frame. Then, Bull Shawn Solimon (#17) scored an unassisted goal, fired past a surprised Rattler goalie, to give the Bulls the 3-2 lead.
The Rattlers did everything but stand on their heads, trying to smash past the Bulls defense. In fact, with 12:42 remaining, Rattler #91 Michael Hill ended up sliding into the net, with goalie Travis Smith flying over him. Even when awarded a penalty shot, Hill was unable to get past the netminder.
With less than two minutes in the frame, and still trailing 3-2, the Rattlers pulled their goalie for the extra attacker – and a late Bulls penalty to #16 Michael Haddad for cross-checking made it six Rattlers to only 4 Bulls on the ice.
Even with the advantage, the Bulls hung on for the win – taking the game and the series, and earning the right to meet Temiskaming in the GMHL Junior A Hockey North Division Finals.
Stars of the Game were #1 Bulls goalie Travis Smith, #2 Rattlers goalie Andrei Berezinsky, and #3 Bulls player Gage Janse (1 goal, 1 assist).
Anyone questioning the awards to the goalies only had to look at the game stats: Smith faced a remarkable 66 shots on net, as the increasingly desperate Rattlers looked for a way past; Berezinsky faced 55 shots.
Temiskaming Titans won their Best of Five semifinal series against the Ville Marie Pirates, 3 games to 0.
The North Division Finals, a best of seven series between the Titans and the Bulls, will get underway March 23-April 1. Winner will play the South Division Champion for the 2022 Russell Cup.
