Troops fail to close out series, Game 7 looms

. Game 7 is on tap for the North Bay Battalion Tuesday as the Barrie Colts took down the Troops 4-2 Monday in Barrie.

The best of seven series is now tied 3-3.

“It was awesome, the fans were behind us we knew we weren’t finished yet,” Jelsma, who picked up three points, told the OHL Tonight post game.

The Battalion came out flying, looking to end the series in Game 6, but in keeping with the theme of this series where the first team to score ends up losing, Dalyn Wakely (5) beat Anson Thornton from a sharp angle back hand. The goal came on a powerplay halfway through the first. Late in the first, Declan McDonnell (5) was left alone in front of Dom DiVincentiis and knocked the puck in  off a centring pass from Jelsma. The game was tied 1-1 after the first period.

In the second, Tyler Savard (3) netted the lone goal to put Barrie up 2-1 heading into the third.

Early in the third, Pasquale Zito (5) tipped in a one timed attempt by Kyle McDonald to tie the game up on the powerplay. After some back and forth between the two teams, Savard (4) tipped the puck past DiVincentiis from the slot to give Barrie a late lead. An empty netter by Jelsma (4) sealed the deal for Barrie to send the series back to North Bay for a Game 7.

That game takes place Tuesday night at Memorial Gardens, which you can catch on the Frontline Gameday YouTube channel starting at 6:50pm.

A silver lining for Battalion fans? The Troops haven’t lost two in a row February 26 when they fell 8-2 to the Sarnia Sting.