NEWS ITEM

Wednesday, March 10th, 2010

Barclay gives Norwich Merchants west division series lead

The Simcoe Storm are getting real sick of this script.

In a game they needed to win -- Game 3 of their Niagara Jr. C west final last night -- Norwich Merchants sniper Chad Barclay was once again the difference.

Barclay, an overager with Norwich, has been giving the Storm fits for years, and last night he scored the winner with 57 seconds left in the third period to break a 1-1 draw.

With the 2-1 victory, Norwich leads the series by the same total going back home for Game 4 Friday night.

"It's always nice to score that goal," Barclay said. "It was a battle all game between both teams and it could've gone either way. We just got the break there at the end. (Simcoe goalie Chris) Lee almost got it. He played amazing all night. (I was) just happy to do it."

With the score tied late in the third, Lee made one of several spectacular stops to keep the game tied, but the forward he thwarted, Kris Krolouski, found Barclay speeding up centre ice seconds later, and with a backhand deke, Barclay put the visitors ahead.

"In the last minute of the game like that, we've just got to push it into overtime unless we get a great scoring opportunity," Storm forward Jordan Paton said.

Simcoe made a mad dash at the Norwich net trying to tie the game. With two seconds left, a scrum broke out deep in Merchants territory and it was deemed a Norwich defender intentionally knocked the net off before the whistle, awarding a penalty shot to Simcoe.

League scoring champion and Simcoe goal getter Zane Neily Jr. was given the honours, but was denied by the stick of Norwich goalie Matt Coutts.

Mike Brilhante scored the other Norwich goal, while Neily scored for Simcoe.

Lee made 28 saves for Simcoe while Coutts countered with 29.

 

(Source Sentinel-Review)