After dropping the first game of their OMHA opening round series against Hanover, the Mount Forest Bantam Rep Rams got down to business, and stormed past the Falcons in their quest for postseason glory.
Game one unfolded in Clifford on Jan. 17, and it was a classic case of too little too late as a Mount Forest rally fell just short of the mark in a 3-2 final.
Hanover started the scoring with only 49 seconds left in the first period, and beat Rams goaltender Kurtis Trommelen twice again to open a 3-0 lead in the second frame. Mount Forest then began to take control of the game, with David Orr breaking the Rams silence with five minutes to go in the period.
Hard back-and-forth battling filled period three, and Mount Forest was unable to dent the twine until there were only seconds left to play. Ian Bridgwater netted the goal, assisted by Ford McCook, but Hanover held on to take the series opener 3-2.
Mount Forest hosted Hanover on Jan. 19, and drew even in the best-of-five series with a tidy 4-2 victory. Laura Rumph played spotless goal in the first period, and didn’t let in a Falcons marker until the second frame.
The Rams responded quickly, however, and tied the game only seconds later when Avery Bilton finished a play from Orr and Bridgwater. Mount Forest took the lead 2-1 when John Bowden set up one for Orr, but Hanover managed to again tie the score before the close of the period.
Period three had the Falcons seeing green, as two unanswered Rams efforts salted away the 4-2 win. Brett Doney scored what would hold up as the game winner, again assisted by Orr and Bridgwater, and Bridgwater finished his three-point night by feeding McCook the final goal.
Game three back in Clifford on Jan. 31 was another close one, as Trommelen stood strong between the pipes and helped the Rams to a tight 3-2 victory.