Cobourg Cougars Are National Junior A Champs After Winning RBC Cup In OT

Nick Minerva scored 8:21 into overtime for the Cobourg Cougars on Saturday night, capping a dramatic come-from-behind 3-2 win for the Cougars over the Brooks Bandits—and taking the 2017 RBC Cup on home ice.

The National Junior A Champions have a big Peterborough connection: former Pete Josh Maguire plays for them (Cobourg is his hometown), Brent Tully is the GM (the architect behind the team) and their coach is John Druce. For Druce, who played 10 seasons in the NHL, this is his first head coaching job—and quite a debut season behind the bench.

Picture via @OJHLOfficial

Hoisting hardware never gets old. What a story! #MAP pic.twitter.com/Fkd7jojA9Z

— Brent Tully (@tulls24) May 22, 2017

Ryan Casselman forced the game into overtime, scoring with just over a minute left in regulation before Minerva's heroics in OT.

Here was Minerva's gold winning goal...

The Cobourg Cougars are your 2017 National JR A Champs! Nicholas Minerva blasts home to OT winner @HC_RBCCup @CougarsHockey pic.twitter.com/DMx8DACVuI

— Shayne Pasquino (@shaynepasquino) May 22, 2017

GAME OVER! @Nitronik_96 is the overtime hero at 8:21, and @CougarsHockey have won the #RBCCup! pic.twitter.com/7OvttpCeRL

— RBC Cup (@HC_RBCCup) May 22, 2017

Cougars Goalie Stefano Durante stopped 41 shots in the win, and did this awesome happy dance afterward...

Stefano Durante made 41 saves, his reaction to the OT winner says it all @CougarsHockey @HC_RBCCup pic.twitter.com/lKRNho1lpm

— Shayne Pasquino (@shaynepasquino) May 22, 2017

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