Markham and Wexford have been known over the years for having some wild hockey games but they all pale in comparison to the game played between the teams in game 3 of the South Division Championship series Tuesday night.  Reminiscent of a good old fashioned midnight shinny game, only time prevented the winner being declared by "first one to 10 wins" rule.  In the end, the Raiders banged home an empty netter to complete a 9-7 shootout victory and take a 2-1 series lead.

Markham stormed out of the gate, scoring twice in the opening minutes to take a 2-0 lead.  It started just 19 seconds in to the game when Ryan Olidis caused a turnover in the Wexford end that ended up on the stick of Ben Cottreau.  His shot was stopped but the rebound went right to Liam Bowen and he chipped the puck over the Raider goalie for the early 1-0 lead.  Then at the 5:40 mark, more strong forechecking by Olidis resulted in the puck being sent back to Jamie Wright at the point.  Wright's point shot was deflected high in to the net by Andrew Dias for his 6th of the post season.  Wexford responded with three straight goals to take a 3-2 lead with 3:43 left in the opening period before the Waxers would tie the game on their first of three power play markers on the evening.  Kevin Cribari moved the puck across the blueline to Wright and his one-timer was deflected in front by Ryan Steane to send the teams to the intermission tied at 3-3.

Wexford took another lead early in the second when they scored just 1:15 in to the period on a power play.  Markham would tie it up with another power play marker when Cottreau skated the length on the ice with the puck and saw his centering pass deflect off a Raider defenceman and in to the net.  Wexford regained the lead less than one minute later to go up 5-4.  The Waxers battled back and again tied the game heading in to the intermission behind a Steane goal.  Cribari gathered a loose puck in the Wexford end and sent it back to the point to Joe Rothwell and Rothwell's well placed shot found Steane in front for the redirect in to the back of the net.  

The Waxers stormed out for the third and just like the first period, scored in the opening seconds of the period - this time taking 21 seconds to bag their 6th goal.  Olidis and Cottreau buzzed around the Raider end and finally found Dias streaking to the net where he batted a bouncing puck past the goaltender for his second of the evening.  Wexford would tie the game almost 7 minutes in to the final period.  The teams remained tied at 6-6 until they combined for 3 goals in 1:20 to determine the final outcome.  Markham took their final lead of the night when they capitalized on a power play with 6:46 left on the clock.  Tony Rossi and Mark Menonte moved the puck back and forth down low before Menonte circled out of the corner and fired the puck from the faceoff dot through the goalie and in to the net.  Wexford then scored twice, tying the game 35 seconds later and scoring the winning goal 45 seconds after that, for the the final lead change of the night.  The Waxers had a chance late in the game when they went on a 5-on-3 power play but could not find a way to beat the Raider goalie for the equalizer.  Wexford salted away the win with an empty netter with 8 seconds remaining.

G A M E   S T A T I S T I C S

No.

 G

A

PTS

PIM

PPG

SHG

GWG

TOTALS