by Romano Di Franco
In an intense and high-scoring matchup, the Brockville Braves faced off against the Nepean Raiders in Game 32 of their season. The game went into overtime and ended with a final score of 5-4 in favor of the Nepean Raiders courtesy of Nic Papineau’s heroics.
As for the starting goalies, Brady McEwen got the call for the Raiders and Zane Spaniol was in net for the Brockville Braves.
The first period saw both teams finding the back of the net. Nicolas Papineau opened the scoring for the Nepean Raiders at 10:14, assisted by William Dickson and Brandon Reinisch. The Raiders extended their lead at 13:02 when Nick Houben scored, assisted by Dylan Paron and Riley Streska. Kimani Eccleston got one back for the Brockville Braves at 18:52, with assists from Liam Cardiff and Liam Reid.
In the second period, the Nepean Raiders maintained their offensive momentum. Joshua Reid scored on the power play at 9:27, assisted by Lleyton McLean and Nick Sinani. However, the Braves responded with goals from Kimani Eccleston at 11:17 and Owen Watson at 12:45, with Owen Watson’s goal assisted by Aidan Carolan. Brandon Reinisch of the Nepean Raiders tied the game once again at 12:06, assisted by Nicolas Papineau and Joshua Reid. Jackson Arango then gave the Braves a late lead at 18:19, with assists from Lucas Culhane and Kimani Eccleston.
The third period remained scoreless, but the Nepean Raiders were determined to mount a comeback in overtime. Nicolas Papineau secured the victory for the Raiders at 0:50 into overtime, completing his hat-trick and sealing the 5-4 win for Nepean.
Both teams had their share of penalties, with the Nepean Raiders going 1 for 3 on the power play and the Brockville Braves going 0 for 2. A total of 17 penalty minutes were assessed.
The three stars of the game were awarded to Nicolas Papineau of the Nepean Raiders (two goals plus an assist), Kimani Eccleston of the Brockville Braves (2 goals, 1 assist), and Joshua Reid of the Nepean Raiders (1 goal, 1 assist).
In an exciting and back-and-forth contest, the Nepean Raiders emerged victorious with a final score of 5-4 in overtime, showcasing their resilience and offensive prowess.
The Raiders are back in action Sunday October 8th as they face off the Navan Grads for Day One of the CCHL’s Fall Showcase. The game will be held at the Canadian Tire Arena at the Bell Sensplex in Kanata Ontario for an 8:00pm puck drop.
