The cchl playoff picture sharpened Wednesday night as Rockland and Smiths Falls each stood one win from a sweep in their best-of-seven semifinal series. The Nationals led Kemptville 3-0, while the Bears carried the same advantage against Ottawa, putting both clubs on the edge of a possible Bogart Cup showdown. The next game for Smiths Falls was set for Friday night at 7: 30 p. m. in Smiths Falls if needed, while Rockland was scheduled to host game five Friday night if that series extended.
Smiths Falls keeps control in cchl semifinal
Smiths Falls edged Ottawa 2-1 in game three Tuesday night in Smiths Falls, taking a firm grip on the series with a disciplined defensive performance. Dean Carvalho scored just under three minutes into the first period for his second goal of the playoffs, and Luka Benoit added another before intermission for his eighth of the post-season.
Eric Kane pulled Ottawa within one at 11: 32 of the third period, but the Bears held on after Ottawa pulled its goalie late in regulation. Smiths Falls outshot Ottawa 33-21, and Brett Ruddy earned the win in net. Ruddy and the Bears entered Wednesday with the lowest goals-against average of the playoffs at 1. 61, a key reason the cchl semifinal turned quickly in their favour.
Rockland stays in command
Rockland was already in the same position after a 5-1 win over Kemptville on Monday night in Rockland. Owen Redmond opened the scoring for the 73’s, but the Nationals answered with five unanswered goals, including three power-play markers from Gabriel Le Houillier.
Mavrick Brunet added a goal and four assists, underlining the depth Rockland has brought to the cchl semifinal. The Nationals were outshot 51-22, but Kayden Newton made the lead stand up in net. Kemptville was limited to 5 shots in the third period, showing how quickly Rockland took control after the early setback.
What the numbers say
The cchl semifinal has also reflected what happened over the regular season and the opening round of the playoffs. Rockland finished first in the regular season, while Smiths Falls finished second. Ottawa entered the semifinals after defeating Renfrew in five games, and Kemptville advanced after a hard-fought quarterfinal against Navan that included three overtime games.
Smiths Falls beat Brockville in a sweep to reach this round, and Rockland moved through its opening series with steady production from its top scorers. The standings, the playoff results and the current series scores all point in the same direction: the league’s top teams have kept control when the stakes rose.
What comes next
If Ottawa forces a game five, the Bears would return home Friday night for another chance to close out the cchl semifinal. Rockland would host its own game five Friday night if Kemptville extends the series. For now, both clubs are one win away from putting themselves in line for the Bogart Cup, and the cchl semifinal could be decided before the weekend ends.
