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Heartbreak in overtime ends Guelph Storm's season

Guelph loses the game 4-3 and the best-of-seven series 4-2

They gave it everything they had, but in the end, it just wasn't quite enough.

The Sarnia Sting's Nolan Burke scored on a wraparound 4:05 into overtime Sunday afternoon at the Sleeman Centre to put an end to the Guelph Storm's season.

Burke broke in on the left side of the ice and froze goaltender Patrick Leaver before circling behind the net and quickly surfacing near the other side to wrap it just inside the post before Leaver could get his skate over to stop it.

Sarnia won the game 4-3 and the best-of-seven series 4-2.

Guelph had trailed 3-0 in the series.

"I don't think there's a good way to lose one, but that's a pretty good hockey team over there and I couldn't be more proud of our effort that we give everyday, not just today, since we started eight months ago," said Storm coach Chad Wiseman.

"It's a really close-knit group and the coaching staff couldn't be more proud of the effort they put in. They're motivated, they're relentless and they're passionate and focused."

Costly defensive zone turnovers led to all three Sarnia goals in regulation, two by former Storm Sasha Pastujov and the other from Ty Voit. Pastujov's second of the game at 7:19 of the third had tied things up 3-3.

Still, the Storm never trailed until Burke's game-winner in overtime, but they also never led by more than one, getting goals from Matt Poitras, Max Namestnikov and Charlie Paquette.

But they were out of gas by the end of the game: a fourth line rarely used, certain players out there every other sift and two forwards – Braeden Bowman and Valentin Zhugin – forced to exit the game with injuries, Zhugin in the first period and Bowman early in the third.

"Then you're overplaying guys and they're running on fumes. Between special teams and kills, guys are playing a lot of minutes, plus it's our sixth game," Wiseman said.

The game also marked the end of the junior careers of the Storm's three overage players: Jake Murray, Ben McFarlane and Cooper Walker.

"It stings for sure. It's never easy to go out at all, but to know we were that close (to forcing a Game 7) makes it a little bit harder," Murray said.

"But at the end of the day, what I'm going to remember about this year is the fact that we were down and we could have folded and given up, but we didn't. We battled back, we took two games and we played our hearts out.

"I'm proud of the group and the pushback that we had."

Like most players having just played their final game in the OHL, Murray said it goes by fast.

"It went by in a heartbeat. It seems like it was just the other day when I was 16 and just getting started in the league," Murray said. "It is a cliche, but it flies on by. I'm really greatful that i got to play things out here ... I wouldn't have wanted to play anywhere else my last year."

McFarlane, who is committed to playing at the University of Prince Edward Island next year, said he was proud of the team, the way it came through adversity thoughout the season.

"I love these guys, and good luck to them all in the future," McFarlane said.

Despite a terrible start to the season, the trading of three key players and then a second-half turnaround that saw the Storm boast one of the better records in the league after Christmas, McFarlane said the team stuck together through it all.

"We're all pretty tight. We treat each other like brothers and held each other accountable. I'm happy to have hopefully helped instill some good habits and I hopefully they have a good year next year."

Next order of business for the Storm is the OHL draft, set for April 21 and April 22.


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Tony Saxon

About the Author: Tony Saxon

Tony Saxon has had a rich and varied 30 year career as a journalist, an award winning correspondent, columnist, reporter, feature writer and photographer.
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