Peterborough started the game with a three-goal run with scores from Joe Resetarits, Hellyer and Adam Thistlehwaite. Brooklin responded with a pair of scores including a power play goal to cut the deficit to one. Colton Armstrong, Thomas Hoggarth and Austin Hasen found the scoresheet with a goal each while Hellyer got his second of the game. Brooklin scored twice to make it a 7-5 game in a high-scoring first period.
In the second period, there were only five goals with both teams trading scores. Brooklin had three goals while Peterborough saw Colby Wood and Hasen score their town for a 9-8 score going into the third.
Peterborough had clamped down defensively in the final frame.
Hellyer kicked off the third period with a hat trick goal to give a two-goal lead for the Lakers. Taite Cattoni, who was back from injury, got his first score and third point of the night. Matt Gilray scored for the Lakers to give his team a four-goal cushion with 8:34 left to play.
Reilly O’Connor managed to score with 3:43 in regulation to try and give Brooklin a fighting chance but Joey Cupido had an unassisted goal just 72 seconds later to ice the game and give the Lakers the sweep over the visitors.
Lakers goaltender Doug Buchan started the game and saved 30 of 38 shots but was swapped out for Landon Kells stopped 17 of 18 shots to help Peterborough secure the win.
“They thought it was their year but it was great to four-bang them for the second straight year,” said Cattoni.
“There were a lot of guys that were out there grinding,” said Dylan Hutchinson, Lakers defender. “We had a young left side out there on offence and they were all out there. Colby, Nate and Adam were all doing a good job and then Taite was kind of the vocal guy, handling the ball a little more. What they were able to do was great for us and definitely helped the outcome.”
The finals are expected to begin on Tuesday in a rematch against the defending Mann Cup champion Six Nations Chiefs. Game two is likely at the Peterborough Memorial Centre; however, the league has not confirmed the dates.
