Third one-goal loss eliminates Raiders from conference final

Napanee's third one-goal loss of the series pushed the Raiders to the post-season sidelines as the Clarington Eagles posted a 3-2 win to take the Provincial Junior Hockey League East Conference final Saturday night.

Playing in front of a crowd of 968 in Napanee, the Eagles scored a single goal in each period, including the game-winning tally by Jordan Shaw at 9:52 of the third that snapped a 2-2 tie, to claim the best-of-seven series, 4-2.

The game was the series' fourth decided by one goal (Napanee also had a one-goal win) with the other two decided by three and four goals. Overall, Clarington outscored Napanee, 16-15, over the six games.

Clarington moves on to the Schmalz Cup semifinals against the North Conference-champion Hanover Barons in a best-of-seven set. The other semifinal will be played between the South and West conference-winning New Hamburg Firebirds and Lakeshore Canadiens, respectively.

The Raiders struck first in the game, with forward Ben White scoring his post-season team-leading 13th goal in 21 games, a power-play marker at 9:07 of the opening period. Clarington defenceman Kayden Hambly notched his third playoff goal to tie the game 7:11 later.

The Eagles followed with the lone goal of the second period, with Joe Voice doing the scoring at 15:49.

On a power play at 2:12 of the third, Raiders forward Cameron Krupa tied the score, 2-2, giving the forward a dozen post-season markers and setting the stage for Shaw's game-winning tally 7:40 later.

White and Krupa, with a goal and an assist apiece, and Marshall Mcfarland, with assists on each of his Napanee teammates' goals, were the only players to accumulate multiple points in the contest.

Clarington outshot Napanee 2725 in the game, with the combined shots on goal tally of 52 being the lowest total of the series. Winning Clarington netminder Oliver Webster made 23 stops, compared to Napanee goalie Logan Vale's 24.

Raiders defenceman Erik Macniel missed Game 6 while serving the third of a five-game suspension he was slapped with after he was handed a head contact minor and misconduct for a hit along the end boards in the Napanee defensive zone on Clarington's Kyle Smith in Game 3.

Napanee was also without Spencer Cranley, who was serving the fourth of a five-game suspension he absorbed for the gross misconduct — for disrespectful and abusive behaviour — he took in Game 2.

Clarington's Mitch Davies was out serving the third game of a to-be-determined suspension for intent to injure after he blind-side cross-checked and knocked down Vale, who was skating towards the Napanee bench area on his way to join his teammates in celebrating their 3-2 Game 3 overtime win.