Steven Beenackers scored twice for the Chatham Maroons, but the London Nationals hung on to win 7-6 in overtime Sunday at Chatham Memorial Arena.
Adam Sinclair scored twice for the Nationals, who take a 2-1 lead in their best-of-seven GOJHL semifinal series. Game 4 is Wednesday night.
London scored their first three goals within the first seven minutes of the game. Brenden Trottier opened things up at 2:28, followed by Brandon Glover just over three minutes later, then a score from Kyle Dawson. Teddy McGeen got the Maroons on the board, and Jake O'Donnell narrowed the score to 3-2 Nationals when he connected on the power play. Adam Sinclair put London up by two once more for a 4-2 Nationals lead at the first intermission.
Both teams exchanged goals in the second period, with Beenackers scoring unassisted at 8:37. Sinclair picked up his second goal of the night later in the period and London maintained another two-goal lead after 40 minutes of play.
Sinclair went to the penalty box just after the start of the third period, and Beenackers made the Nationals pay with a power play goal to cut the London lead to 5-4. Ethan Nother got that goal back for the Nationals at 7:44, bringing his playoff point total to 18, second in the GOJHL playoffs. Less than a minute later, Brendan D'Agostino found the net, and Alec Mackenzie brought the Maroons their only equalizer of the game later in the frame.
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The Maroons began the overtime period on the penalty kill, with Noah Bushnell serving a double-minor for spearing.
Austin Kemp took advantage and scored the winner just 42 seconds into the extra frame.
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Puck drop for Game 4 is 7:30pm at the Western Fair Centre in London. Listen to all of the action live on CFCO Country 92.9FM/AM 630.