DANIEL DALE DOES IT FOR NOTRE DAME

LÉVIS, QUE. – Daniel Dale (Grande Prairie, Alta.) delivered the goal when it counted most.

Dale scored with 7:16 to play in the third period to lift the Notre Dame Hounds to a 5-3 win over the St. John’s Fog Devils on Saturday night at the Lévis Arena. Dale buried a rebound off the pad of St. John’s goaltender Scott Bray (St. John’s, N.L.), bringing the pro-Notre Dame crowd into a frenzy.

This game was a classic from the start, with the Hounds taking control and leading 2-0 after the first period and 3-0 early in the second. But the Fog Devils wouldn’t go away and tied the game before the end of the middle frame.

Scott Bolland (Osoyoos, B.C.) started the scoring with 2:06 to go in the first period and Notre Dame added to its lead with a goal with 24 seconds left, as Shea Howorko (Regina, Sask.) beat Bray.

Notre Dame killed off a 5-on-3 power play early in the second period. And, moments later, Catlin Foley (Coronach, Sask.) scored to make it 3-0 for the Hounds. Notre Dame, though, got into penalty trouble and, as has been the case throughout this week, allowed a team back into a game.

Zach O’Brien (St. John’s, N.L.) – surprise, surprise – got things rolling for the Fog Devils in the second, when he wired a shot past Riley Parker (Abbotsford, B.C.). Marcus Power (St. John’s, N.L.) scored to make it 3-2 and then O’Brien added his second of the game and eighth of the tournament to tie things up.

The teams went into the third tied at 3-3, setting the stage for Dale’s dramatics. Slater Koekkoek (Mountain, Ont.) skated in on a 2-on-1 with Dale and fired a shot at Bray. The St. John’s goaltender kicked it out but the puck landed right on the stick of Dale, who made no mistake.

Morgan Rielly (Vancouver, B.C.) scored an insurance marker less than three minutes later.

Notre Dame will go for its second-straight TELUS Cup championship on Sunday against either the Mississauga Reps or Gaulois du Collège Antoine-Girouard.