In what was the most exciting and evenly played game of the series, Markham grabbed a 3-0 series lead scoring a late, even strength goal to defeat the Buzzers by a 3-2 score.  Neither team seemed to dominate the game but each team did have spurts where they were controlling the play.  It was an end-to-end, crowd pleasing affair that was highlighted by a pretty good goaltenders duel.

St Mike's jumped on the board first, scoring on a breakway just over 6 minutes in to the game.  Markham would tie the game 7 minutes later.  Keeping the pressure on in the Buzzers end, the line of Pat Porretta, Mark Menonte and Tony Rossi generated 3 quality scoring chances before hitting paydirt.  Rossi and Menonte cycled the puck down low and then Menonte fed the puck back to the point to Jamie Wright.  He slid the puck across the ice to Porretta who fired a low wrist shot under the Buzzers goalie as he slid across in a two-pad stack, and the game was tied 1-1.  St Mike's would charge ahead again, scoring with 4:06 left in the period to take a 2-1 lead in to the intermission.

Markham tied the game in the opening minutes of the second period while on the power play.  Moving the puck as if on a string, Kevin Cribari sent it  to Menonte who then passed down low to Rossi to the left of the goaltender.  The Buzzers penalty killers were caught out of position thanks to the quick puck movement and Rossi sent a goal mouth pass to Liam Bowen, wide open in front, and he redirected the puck through the goalie's legs and in to the net.  The two teams would then play scoreless hockey for the next 33 minutes.

Just when it appeared that the game would be destined for overtime, the Waxers found a way to get the victory in regulation.  Working hard on the forecheck, Ryan Steane and Bowen out muscled the Buzzer defenceman on the cycle and Bowen found himself alone behind the net with the puck.  He quickly centered the puck to Cribari who was in the slot and he one-timed the puck in to the Buzzers cage for the game winning goal with 1:43 left on the clock.  The tense atmosphere reached a fever pitch shortly thereafter as the Waxers were penalized with 1:27 left on the clock setting the stage for a 6-on-4 power play as the Buzzers pulled their goalie for the extra attacker.  Waxers' goalie Scott Gray and the penalty killers were up to the task however and whittled the clock down to the final horn.

The Waxers now take the 3-0 lead to St Michael's on Thursday night for game 4 which, if it follows the pattern of the series, will be an even better hockey game than game 3.

G A M E   S T A T I S T I C S

No.

 G

A

PTS

PIM

PPG

SHG

GWG

TOTALS