Wolves win at home, lose in Palmerston, forcing championship final to Game 7 in Ripley

The Ripley Wolves were one win away from a North Conference championship, after a spirited 3-0 win over the Minto 81s, in front of a massive crowd, Friday night, at the Ripley Arena.

The win – the first for a home team in this series – gave the Wolves a 3-2 lead in their best-of-seven series against Minto, with a chance to end it in Palmerston, Saturday afternoon.

Wolves goals were scored by Aidan Renaud, with an incredible solo effort from his own zone before wiring a wrister under the bar; Jordan Moulton on a sublime pass from Garrett Meurs; and Ethan Skinner from Meurs and Cody Britton. Goalie Jason Hamilton also notched an assist on the Moulton goal.

Hamilton stopped all 33 shots he faced for the shut-out.

However, Saturday afternoon in Palmerston, the 81s staved off elimination by taking a 5-2 win.

Once again being allowed to re-write the league's rule book – this time by signing a goaltender nearly three months after the January playoff roster deadline – Minto went up 2-0 early but the Wolves clawed their way back before the end of the first period, with goals by Dan Nicoloff and Ethan Skinner. Assists went to Britton, Kaden Hoggarth, Renaud and Skinner.

Unfortunately, the offence dried up from there and Minto added two more goals over the second and third periods, before icing it with an empty-netter to take a 5-2 win in Game 6.

Hamilton stopped 26 of 30 shots for the Wolves, while the Junior C Hanover Barons' goalie Derek Hartley stopped 32 of 34 shots in his surprising debut for Minto after regular starter Jonathan Reinhart could not play following a collision in Friday night's game.

So, it all comes down to Game 7, Tuesday, April 7, in Ripley, at 8:30 p.m. The winner will face the Seaforth Centenaires who downed Elora in five games in the South Conference final.