SHERWOOD PARK, AB – The Sherwood Park Crusaders were unable to take advantage of home ice and grab their first lead in their best of five North Division Quarter Final as they fell 4-3 to the Grande Prairie Storm in overtime in game three on Saturday night.
For the third straight game, the Storm were able to score the game’s opening goal as Noah Walters would score his first of the post season on the power play at 9:36.
Sherwood Park would respond over a minute later on a power play of their own as Arjun Atwal scored his second goal of the series with the assists from Ryan Cox and Dylan Stewart.
The Crusaders would take the lead less than two minutes later on another power play as Tyler Jette would beat Storm goaltender Ehtan Slobodzian from the left point.
The slew of power play goals in the first period would continue as the Storm tied the game 2-2 with a marker from Edouard Michaud, his first of two goals on the night.
The second period would see one goal and it would be off the stick of Ryan Cox to give the Crusaders a 3-2 lead.
Sherwood Park would carry the play the rest of the middle frame but fail to convert on power play opportunities and headed into the intermission up 3-2 after forty minutes.
The same would continue for Sherwood Park in the third period, outshooting the Storm 13-7 in the third but would be stymied on several occasions by Slobodzian, which allowed Grande Prairie to hang around.
The Storm would tie the game late with less than six minutes remaining in regulation as Michaud would put his second goal of the game past Brandon Vogel.
Grande Prairie needed just 1:50 into overtime to score as the Storm would capitalize on the forecheck. Cruz Cote would be the hero in extra time to give the Storm a 4-3 win and a 2-1 series lead.
The Storm can close out the best of five series Sunday night in game four against the Crusaders at the Sherwood Park Arena.
BOXSCORE: Storm 4 Crusaders 3 (OT)
VIDEO: Post Game Wrap
VIDEO: Highlights