The playoffs have started the way the regular season ended for the McLean and Dickey Orillia Terriers.
A four-goal third period helped Innisfil draw first blood in their best-of-seven first round playoff series against the visiting Terriers as the Spartans rallied to beat Orillia 5-3 in a thriller at the Innisfil Recreation Complex. It is the first-year team's first-ever playoff game and post-season victory.
Terriers forward Noah Mountain scored the only goal of the first frame to give the Terriers a 1-0 lead heading into the middle stanza.
But a second-period power-play goal allowed the Spartans to knot the score. With less than six minutes left in the second, Brady McLaren’s goal gave the Terriers a 2-1 advantage heading into the third.
Just 32 seconds into the final period, Innisfil set the tone for the comeback when they tied the score and then took their first lead seven minutes later.
Kory Lund scored at the mid-way mark of the third to tie the game and give the Terriers some hope.
But Angelo Protopapas scored at the 14-minute mark, bringing the 147 fans to their feet. An empty-net goal sealed the Terriers’ fate.
Orillia netminder Reed Spinola stopped 33 of 37 shots in the loss. Both teams had 38 shots on goal in the hotly contested battle.
Innisfil beat Orillia 4-3 the last time they met, on Feb. 25, earning two points that, in the end, gave them the edge in the regular season standings. Innisfil finished in fourth place with a 20-17-2-1 record, just ahead of the Terriers, who finished fifth thanks to a 19-18-1-2 record.
That slight edge gives Innisfil home-ice advantage in this first-round series.
The series shifts back to Orillia for game two, which is slated for Saturday night at Rotary Place in west Orillia. Puck drop is at 7:30 p.m.
The series returns to Innisfil on Sunday, before heading back to Orillia for game 4 on Tuesday.
