Five unanswered goals proved to be too much for the Stratford Canadian Tire Major Bantam Warriors to overcome, as they suffered their first loss of the 2106/2017 playoffs, 7-4 to the London Jr. Mustangs White. Stratford still leads the eight point Alliance Bristol finals 4 point to 2.
Things started well for Stratford, on goals by Noah Rusen Steele, Josiah Kraayenbrink, Cohen LeSouder and Adam Windsor that propelled the visitors into a three goal lead that began to evaporate with two minutes left in the second period. Callan Ferguson and Windsor each had a pair of assists, while Rusen Steele, Connor Hill, and Tate Gaylor had individual helpers.
Stratford began to run into penalty problems late in the second period, and again early in the third, which allowed the Mustangs to score three goals in three minutes to tie the game. The winning goal for London came four minute later and the hosts never looked back from there, earning their first win of the series and climbing to within a game of knotting up the series.
Game four of the series goes Tuesday night in Stratford at the Molson Arena. Game time is 7:45 pm.