Home ice advantage has not been an advantage at all through the first four games of the Western Ontario Senior Hockey League playoffs between the Petrolia Squires and Mapleton-Minto.
The road team has won all the games to date.
The latest was a 7-3 victory by the visitors at the Greenwood Recreation Centre last Sunday night.
Jesse Drydak scored twice in a losing cause to give him a team-leading nine playoff goals for the Squires and Brent Sauve notched his eighth postseason tally.
Squires starting goaltender Chris Houle was chased in the second period after allowing four goals. He was replaced by Brandon Campbell who surrendered the other three.
Last Friday night in Palmerston, Dan Veenema registered the hat trick and Corey Pawley scored twice to lead the Squires past the 81’s, 7-4.
James Edgar and Drydak had the other Petrolia tallies while Thomas Moxely chipped in with four assists.
Houle turned aside 37 shots for the win as the teams each had 41 shots on goal for the night.
Game five in the series is Friday night in Drayton at 8:30 pm, followed by a 7:30 pm puck drop on Saturday night at the Greenwood Recreation Centre.
If a seventh and deciding game is necessary, it’ll be played in Palmerston on Sunday at 6 pm.
The other semi-final between Clinton and Saugeen Shores is also tied at two games apiece after the Radars beat the Winterhawks, 5-2 last Saturday night in Clinton. Contrary to the Squires’ series, the home teams have won all games in the Radars-Winterhawks affair.
Game five in that series is Friday night in Port Elgin, followed by a Saturday night contest in Clinton.
If a seventh game is necessary, it’ll be played in Port Elgin on Sunday afternoon at 3:30 pm.
