Vipers win first-place showdown in OT over Warriors
Stratford Warriors 4
LaSalle Vipers 5 (OT)
With both teams entering the game part of a three-way tie along with St. Marys atop the Western Conference standings, the back-and-forth game lived up to its billing. Two Windsor Spitfires draft picks were major factors in the final result as Max Brocklehurst (3rd round, 2024) scored the OT winner (video) with 1:27 left in the extra frame and Julian Gignac (14th round, 2023) recorded his first career GOJHL hat-trick for the Vipers (17-6-0-0) who scored three unanswered goals to erase a 4-2 deficit and claim sole possession of first place. With the win, the Vipers became the sixth GOJHL franchise to record 500 wins. Colin Slattery scored two goals to help the Warriors (16-6-1-0) erase an early 2-0 deficit and take a 4-2 lead before having their four-game winning streak snapped. Stratford now sit in sole possession of second place with the OT loss.
St. Thomas Stars 1
London Nationals 5
Austen Pomerleau scored three goals – including the game-winner – for his first career GOJHL hat-trick and Ryan Nichols scored twice as the Nationals (13-6-2-1) took sole possession of fourth place in the Western Conference. Dylan Hendrick scored his first goal for St. Thomas since being acquired from the NOJHL’s Elliot Lake Vikings last week as the Stars (5-13-2-1) suffered their fourth straight road loss.
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