Video / Gallery: Terrebonne strikes late to top Timmins in Centennial Cup play

Photos: Erica Perreaux / Hockey Canada Images

PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE, Man. – Anthony Di Cesare’s power play marker with just 25 seconds remaining in the third period lifted the Terrebonne Cobras to a 2-1 come from behind victory over the Timmins Rock Sunday in Day 4 action at the Centennial Cup National Jr. A Championship Sunday at Stride Place in Portage la Prairie.

With the outcome, the Cobras move to 1-0-1 in the 10-team event, while the Rock slip to 1-1-0.

Timmins had some quality chances in the opening minutes of the contest, but could not solve Terrebonne’s Alexandre Marchand, the Canadian Junior Hockey League’s Top Goaltender award recipient this season.

After some equally solid stops by Rock starter Patrick Boivin, the NOJHL title holders opened the scoring late in the first.

After breaking out of their own territory, they went in on a two-on-one where Ethan Pool calmly outwaited a sliding Cobras defender, then saucered a pass across to a waiting Harry Clark, who chipped it over a sprawled Marchand, to put his side up by one, into the intermission.

Heading to the second stanza, the solid goalkeeping continued past the half-way mark of the proceedings as the score stayed 1-0 Timmins into the midway period break.

Despite four man advantage opportunities in the session, the Rock could not solve the Terrebonne penalty kill, as the score remained the same after 40 minutes.

In the third, Terrebonne pressed the pace and eventually collected the equalizer with just over five minutes remaining in regulation.

It resulted after a Rock miss in the Cobras end, and saw the Quebec Jr. A champions counter on an odd-man rush and saw Di Caesare convert by finishing one off from the right of Boivin.

The picking up an late man advantage, Di Cesare won it by driving through the right circle and firing in the game-winner with a sharp-rising release.

Shots on goal finished up 33-26 in favour of the Cobras.

Player of the game honours went to Clark of Timmins and Terrebonne’s Zachary Cardinal.

The Rock are right back it Monday afternoon at 4:30 p.m. as they take on the two-time defending Centennial Cup champion Brooks Bandits (AJHL).

All Centennial Cup round robin, quarter-final and semifinal games are being streamed live, on a pay-per-view basis, via https://video.hockeycanada.ca/en/

The championship game goes Sunday, May 21 and will be broadcast on TSN.

“Highlights” – NOJHL YouTube Channel