The Perth Blue Wings scratched and clawed their way to a Game 5 overtime victory on a night where the Athens Aeros played like their season was on the line – because it was.
Captain Keagan Johnston rifled one home on the blocker side of Ben Spicer at the 3:20 mark of overtime, and sent the Blue Wings off to the divisional final and a date with the Arnprior Packers.
Ethan Woolsey opened the scoring on the night for Perth before Jayden Boyer tied things up for the Aeros later in the first period while shorthanded.
In the opening minutes of the second, Rhett Palmer deposited a powerplay tally to give Athens the lead but Travis Ouellette tied things at two after forty minutes.
The Blue Wings grabbed their second lead of the night at 2:19 of the third when George Carson got one past Spicer, before Palmer tied things up with his second at 11:32.
The score remained tied after regulation, leading to Johnston’s overtime heroics.
Brady McEwan made 43 saves in the win for the Blue Wings.
Perth will now square off against Arnprior, who eliminated the Smiths Falls Jr. Bears Monday night with a 3-0 win, also clinching their series in five games.
The Blue Wings finished one point ahead of Arnprior in the regular season with a record of 37-4-1, to Arnprior’s 37-5.
Game 1 is tentatively scheduled for Monday night in Perth.
Story by Grant Deme
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