By OJHL.ca
Photo: MILTON, ON: Trenton Golden Hawks goalie Ryan Sanborn prepares to smother puck during his team’s 7-2 win over the Milton Menace at Milton Memorial Arena Friday. (Photo Michelle Malvaso / OJHL Images)
The Trenton Golden Hawks have a 3-1 lead in the Ontario Junior Hockey League Championship Series following a 7-2 win over the Milton Menace at Milton Memorial Arena Friday night.
Game 5 in the best-of-seven series goes Monday night in Trenton.
Former Erie Otter Taeo Artichuk and captain Corbin Roach had two goals each for Trenton who got singles from Thomas Kuipers, Candon O’Neill and Ethan Quick.
Trenton held period leads of 1-0 and 3-1 before scoring four straight in the third.
Ryder Cali had both Milton goals.
Trenton goaltender Ryan Sanborn picked up the win to improve to 15-3-1 in the playoffs. His 1.93 goals against average is tops in the OJHL this postseason.
Sanborn arrived in Trenton in November thanks to injuries to both of the team’s goaltenders, he told the OJHL’s Jim Mason during the league’s playoff The Postgame show Friday night.
He said he “bounced around” last fall, playing one game each in the NAHL (Minnesota Mallards) and NCDC (Jersey Hitmen) before getting the call to the Golden Hawks.
He proceeded to go 20-1-0-1 during the regular season before going another run in the playoffs.
Trenton found a new No. 1 goalie and Sanborn, from Brookfield, CT, found a hockey home.
“It’s awesome (playing in Trenton),” he said on The Postgame. “We sell out every game, it’s super loud. I mean we had fans here tonight and they were very loud… It’s a ton of fun to play in Trenton and I love being there.”
Attendance in Milton was 1,305, including that contingent from Trenton, who made the four-hour round trip to catch the game.
What should we expect in Game 5, Ryan?
“I think it will be the hardest game of the series yet,” he said. “We have to show up better than we did last game at home (a 4-0 Milton win). I’m expecting better from us but I’m also expecting better from Milton and I think it will be a really good game.”
The OJHL champions will advance to the Centennial Cup national championship tournament, May 8-18, at the Max Bell Centre in Calgary, Alta.,
Game 1: Golden Hawks 3 Menace 0
Game 2: Golden Hawks 3 Menace 2
Game 3: Menace 4 Golden Hawks 0
Game 4: Golden Hawks 7, Menace 2
Game 5: Monday, April 28 @ Trenton 7 p.m.
Game 6*: Wednesday, April 30 @ Milton 7:30 p.m.
Game 7*: Saturday, May 3 @ Trenton 5:30 p.m.
*if necessary
To watch The Postgame, go to the OJHL’s socials: @OJHLOfficial