Lions oust Vikings in seventh and deciding game

BY MICHAEL PIASETZKI

The Chronicle

For the first time since the 1992-93 season, the Quebec Midget AAA Hockey League Lac St. Louis Lions have advanced to the league final.

The gritty Dollard des Ormeaux-based club earned that right by doing away with the Laurentides Vikings 6-5 in overtime in the seventh and deciding game of their division final Tuesday night in Rosemère. In a drama-filled contest that featured many heart-wrenching twists and turns, Benjamin Power finally tallied the winner at 7:11 of the extra period, beating Vikings goaltender Charles-Albert Corsi on an unassisted power-play effort. The Vikings jumped off to a quick 2-0 first-period lead - including one on a penalty shot by Francis Piché - but only led 3-2 after the first frame with Spiros Goulakos and Michael Domsodi countering for the Lions. The Vikings made it 4-2 heading into the third before the Lions proceeded to score three straight goals by Matthew Whitaker, Francis Drolet and Louis Leblanc to pull ahead 5-4 with less than 10 minutes left in regulation time. Samuel Courcelles then tied it up at 13:51 on the power play, beating goaltender Alexander Peck, and the score remained that way until Power’s heroics.

Head coach Danny Dupont’s troops, who bounced back from a 2-0 deficit in games against the Vikings, now move on to play the Séminaire Saint-François Blizzard in a best-of-seven final beginning tonight in Quebec City for the Jimmy Ferrari Cup. The winner advances to the Telus Cup, scheduled for Red Deer Alta., April 23-29. Game two goes tomorrow night in Quebec City while the teams return for games three and four Sunday afternoon at 2:30 and Monday night at 7:30 at the Pete Morin Arena in Lachine. Game six if necessary will be played at the Léo Crépin Arena in Châteauguay next Friday night at 7:30.

The Lions have been forced to play all their home games during the final away from the friendly confines of the Dollard Civic Centre because the Becket Players Way off Broadway and Cabaret production has taken over their den.