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Cardwell's hat trick powers Colts into second round

Barrie winger Ethan Cardwell scored with 9.9 seconds left in Game 6 against Hamilton Bulldogs to seal the series; Colts will now face North Bay Battalion in second round
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Barrie Colts forward Ethan Cardwell scored three goals, including the game winner, in Game 6 against the Hamilton Bulldogs, Monday night.

With 9.9 seconds left in Game 6, Barrie Colts forward Ethan Cardwell not only secured the hat trick but also sealed the series to send his team to the second round of the Ontario Hockey League playoffs with a 5-4 victory over the Hamilton Bulldogs in Steeltown. 

The Colts will now face the North Bay Battalion in the second round. The Troops were the second seed in the Eastern Conference, while the Colts were third.

Heading into Monday's Game 6 in Hamilton, it had been several days since the Colts and Bulldogs last met. The two teams hadn't played since Thursday at Sadlon Arena in Barrie in what has been a spirited and chippy series. But the first two periods of Game 6 didn't have the same nastiness as the teams seemed just focused on the game at hand and getting the win. It wouldn't last.

The Colts came into the game at FirstOntario Centre with a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series and a chance to eliminate Hamilton, but it was the Bulldogs with some pep in their step as they jumped out to a big lead. But then the Colts scored three times in about five minutes in the second period to make it a game.

Hamilton was the first team to get on the scoreboard 3:03 into the opening frame when Sahil Panwar scored his first of the post-season. 

A little over three minutes later, Hamilton went up 2-0 on Lucas Moore's second goal of the playoffs. It was a power-play marker with Barrie's Roenick Jodoin in the penalty box for tripping. 

It looked like the Bulldogs went up 3-0 on a quick wrist shot from winger Cole Brown with about two minutes left in the period, but, after a review, the refs determined the puck did not cross the goal line.  

Hamilton goalie Matteo Drobac made a couple of big saves in tight on the Colts in the waning moments of the first period to keep the score at 2-0.

With three Colts chasing him on a breakaway, Hamilton winger Florian Xhekaj put his team up 3-0 less than five minutes into the second stanza, moments after Barrie's Zach Wigle hit the post at the other end. 

Just past the midway mark of the second period, the Colts had several chances with about eight players in the Hamilton crease, but still couldn't manage to push the puck across the line. 

The Colts were awarded a power play on the scrum and Colts captain Brandt Clarke quickly capitalized with his fifth goal of the playoffs. Evan Vierling and Cardwell had the assists. 

The goal from Clarke — who was showered with jeers from the Steeltown crowd every time he touched the puck — gave the Colts lots of life as Barrie defenceman Beau Akey scored his first of the playoffs just over three minutes later to cut the lead to 3-2. Declan McDonnell and Tyler Savard had the assists. 

Just 81 seconds after that, Cardwell potted his fourth of the post-season as the puck deflected off a Hamilton player and past Drobac to tie the game 3-3, with Clarke and Vierling getting the assists. 

Heading into the third period, it was still anyone's game and the two teams were initially cautious. 

As the game began to open up, Cardwell gave the Colts a 4-3 lead with about six minutes to play when he zipped a wrist shot to the top corner from the slot. Vierling and Connor Punnett had the assists. 

However, the Bulldogs weren't ready to say goodbye to their season just yet. Lardis tied the game 4-4 with 3:13 left in the game to end the Colts' run of four straight goals.

With less than 10 seconds to go in regulation, Cardwell snapped in what would turn out to be the game-winning and series-clinching goal. Vierling and Clarke picked up the assists. 

All of the other match-ups in the Eastern Conference have wrapped up, with the Ottawa 67's beating the Oshawa Generals 4-1, the Peterborough Petes sweeping the Sudbury Wolves 4-0, and the North Bat Battalion doubling up the Mississauga Steelheads 4-2. Ottawa will now take on Peterborough, while North Bay will host Barrie to start the second round.

Over in the Western Conference, the Windsor Spitfires were upset by the Kitchener Rangers in a four-game sweep, the London Knights blanked the Owen Sound Attack 4-0, and the Sarnia Sting eliminated the Guelph Storm 4-2. Also on Monday night, the Saginaw Spirit defeated the Flint Firebirds, 6-3, in Game 7 to advance to the second round. Saginaw will now face Sarnia, while London will take on Kitchener.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

Game 1 – Thursday, March 30 at Barrie – Colts 10, Bulldogs 2
Game 2 – Saturday, April 1 at Barrie – Colts 6, Bulldogs 3
Game 3 – Sunday, April 2 at Hamilton – Bulldogs 6, Colts 3
Game 4 – Tuesday, April 4 at Hamilton – Bulldogs 5, Colts 3
Game 5 – Thursday, April 6 at Barrie – Colts 4, Bulldogs 1
Game 6 – Monday, April 10 at Hamilton – Colts 5, Bulldogs 4