​Ripley Wolves split games to make it a 3-1 series against Tavistock

The Ripley Wolves split games on the weekend against the Tavistock Royals, making it a 3-1 series in the WOAA Senior “AA” championship final.

The Wolves scratched and clawed their way to a 6-4 victory, Saturday night in front of a capacity crowd at the Ripley Arena, to get their first win of the series.

Ethan Skinner led the way with three goals and two assists, while Chase Meurs scored two huge goals in the third period after a move to forward after starting the game on the blue line.

The game was dead-locked at 2-2 after two periods, and it was plain to see the teams now firmly dislike each other, with nasty hits, after-the-whistle jabs, full-on wrestling matches, and plenty of cross-checks and punches going both ways by the time the game was 40 minutes in.

Skinner scored the first two Wolves goals, one unassisted and one with help from Cody Britton, short-handed.

That set up a wild third period, when Meurs scored his first, only to have Tavistock tie it up just two minutes later. Soon after, Meurs netted his second, only to have the Royals knot it up within a minute.

Assists on Meurs' goals went to Skinner (2), Britton, and Nick Seiler.

The dagger was provided by Adam Alexander with just 2:09 left in the game, when he walked in from the side boards and fired a laser under the crossbar, giving the Wolves a lead they wouldn't relinquish. Seiler got the lone assist.

A nasty hit by a Royals player on Skinner with a minute left – resulting in an interference penalty – removed any hopes of another comeback, and Skinner sealed it with an empty-netter, from Garrett Meurs and Pat Looby.

Jason Hamilton faced 33 shots for the win in the Wolves net.

Sunday afternoon, in Tavistock, the Wolves fought hard but lost Game 4 by a score of 4-3, in overtime.

Ethan Skinner opened the scoring late in the first period, with a powerplay goal, assisted by Nick Seiler and Gerrit Satosek.

Cody Britton added one in the second, from Ethan Skinner, before the Royals tied it up at 2-2 heading into the third.

Early in the final frame, Dan Nicoloff scored a short-hander, from Garrett and Chase Meurs, to put the Wolves black in the lead, but with less than a minute-and-a-half remaining, Tavistock tied it up, forcing the overtime.

Midway in the overtime period, the Royals scored, to take the game, 4-3.

The Wolves will try and stave off elimination as they face Tavistock in Game 5, Friday, March 31, at 8:30 p.m., at the Ripley Arena.