The Chatham Maroons let a big early lead slip away and had to settle for a point.
The Maroons skated to a 5-5 tie with the Strathroy Rockets Saturday night at West Middlesex Memorial Arena. Chatham is in third place with 43 points in the GOJHL Western Conference, while Strathroy is in seventh with 31 points.
The Maroons got off to a strong start with three unanswered goals in the first period. Griffin Robinson opened things up at 2:50. Later in the period, Brett Fisher and Eddie Schulz added to the Chatham lead with goals scored 37 seconds apart. The Rockets got on the board with a Michael Wood goal before the end of the frame.
Strathroy came within one goal when Carson Perry scored at 2:05, but Chatham got that goal back when Darby Lemieux put the puck in 20 seconds later. The Rockets Daniel Aspro scored short-handed for a 4-3 Chatham lead, but Dane Johnstone put the Maroons up by two again at 12:44. Perry picked up his second goal of the game on the power play and Strathroy trailed Chatham 5-4 at the second intermission.
The Rockets forced overtime when Lucas Fancy scored the equalizer at 2:42 of the third period. The first and second overtime periods both passed quietly with Strathroy outshooting Chatham by a total of 7-3.
The Maroons return to Chatham Memorial Arena Sunday night when they host the Sarnia Legionnaires. The Rockets welcome St. Marys next Saturday night.