Game three of the first round series between Thornhill and Markham was also the third in three nights and it showed.  Both teams were sloppy all night and as time wore down, Markham was able to find a little extra and over power the hard working Rattlers for a 6-4 victory and a commanding 3-0 lead in the series.

Thornhill scored the only goal of the opening period, on a power play, but Markham would tie the game just 1:15 in to the second period.  Breaking out of the Waxer end, Mike Standon found Ryan Steane who led the rush up the ice.  After attempting a drop pass to Kevin Cribari, the puck bounced around in the feet of the players before Cribari found it and fired a low hard shot past the Rattler goalie.  Thornhill took the lead again just over 1 minute later and the Waxers would tie it 2-2 less than a minute after the Rattler goal.  With Markham hemming the Rattlers in their own end, Ben Cottreau centered the puck out to Ryan Olidis who firing the puck just wide.  The puck bounced off the end boards right on the stick of Andrew Dias and he tied the game, potting his first of three on the evening.  The second ended in that 2-2 tie.

Markham stormed out to open the third and were able to the 3-2 lead less than 5 minutes in to the period.  Olidis and Cottreau cycled the puck down low before Cottreau fired a pass across the slot to Dias who redirected the puck in to the open side.  Thornhill quickly responded scoring two goals in just 55 seconds to take a 4-3 lead with 13:23 left in regulation.  Markham would tie the game at 4-4 when Cottreau, Dias and Olidis combined again, this time Olidis scoring with Cottreau and Dias earning assists, after another dominant performance down low in the Rattler end.  Markham would grab the lead for good with 6:22 left on the clock on a Liam Bowen marker.  Standon moved the puck to Cribari in the Waxer end and Cribari then fed Bowen in the neutral zone.  Bowen raced over the Rattler line and fired a hard wrist shot that deflected off the Rattler defenceman's stick and in to the top corner.  Markham was able to ice the victory with an empty net goal, in which Cottreau threw the puck at the net from the blue line and Dias tipped it in for the hat trick.

Anthony Guadagnolo was victorious in his first Junior A playoff appearance stopping 34 shots along the way.  The players from both teams now get a much deserved rest before resuming the series on Thursday, February 13 at 7:00 pm in Markham.

G A M E   S T A T I S T I C S

No.

 G

A

PTS

PIM

PPG

SHG

GWG

TOTALS