It took overtime, but that was fine with the Yorkton Terriers who have won seven-of-nine in extra time through their playoff run.
And in a must win at the Royal Bank Cup in Vernon Thursday, the Terriers spotted the Dauphin Kings a goal early in the second period, then tied the score in the third eventually taking the game to overtime.
It took only 2:40 into extra time for Derek Falloon to take a feed from Brett Boehm and slip it five hole for the win.
"Oh that was a big one," said Falloon with a big smile after the game.
"I'd say that's definitely up there. Yah it's probably number one," he said in terms of goals he has scored, adding especially coming "in a national championship, against a team I used to play for."
Falloon said he just went to the net and Boehm threw the puck his way.
"I just tried to get a shot on goal and it ended up sliding through the five-hole," he said.
Falloon said the Terriers knew what they had to do entering the game, win to survive at the RBC.
"We didn't want to go down without a fight, that's for damn sure," he said.
And it was a fight.
"They're a good team that made us work for everything we got," said Falloon.
Terrier head coach Trent Cassan said it was obviously a big goal, adding "I'm happy for Derek too."
The Terrier coach said as a 20-year-old Falloon has "bought into his role on the third line," and while he doesn't always get noticed on the score sheet he can come up with big goals.
Brent Wold had started the scoring with Dauphin's lone goal of the contest 46-seconds into the second period. The goal came on a power play created late in the second when Devon McMullen made what appeared a picture-perfect hip check and was instead called for tripping. The call was one which had many at Kal Tire Place suggesting the men in stripes deserved an assist on the Dauphin goal.
Tyler Giebel would notch the equalizer for the Terriers at 8:10 of the third.
Kale Thomson had the win in the Terrier net facing 36-shots, while Michael Stiliadis took the loss as the Terriers generated 33-shots.
Thomson was calm and collected after the win, but admitted that it felt great to get back-to-back one-goal wins, after an admittedly shaky first two games where he gave up 10.
"It wasn't the start we wanted, or games I wanted," he said.
Thomson said he tried not to dwell on the losses.
"It was not the end of the world," he said, even when he was pulled in game two, noting the coaches "needed to make some sort of change in the game.
"I didn't think too much of it."
In the 3-1 win over Carleton Place Thomson said he felt better, and heading into the game against Dauphin he knew what had to be done.
"I felt good out there," he said. "I was able to see the puck, and make some big saves when I needed too."
Cassan said Thomson came through just as they expected.
"We had faith in him. The guys had faith in him. He's been there all season for us," he said.
And like the other Terriers Thomson was keenly aware of the stakes against Dauphin.
"We're not ready for our season to be over. We didn't want to go 1-3 and be sitting around for three days," he said.
