2018 TELUS Cup

COOLEY SCORES GAME-WINNER, HOUNDS EDGE YOUNG NATIONALS

MACKENZIE DEMPSTER

SUDBURY, Ont. – Stanley Cooley broke open a tie game with 2:07 left, sending the Notre Dame Hounds to a 5-3 win over the Toronto Young Nationals in the first game for both Monday at the 2018 TELUS Cup.

With overtime looming, Cooley took a pass from Quinn Schmiemann and stick-handled his way through four Young Nationals before beating goaltender Sean Wu with a quick, low shot.

The Hounds looked for the scoreboard early, firing 11 shots towards Wu, who remained resilient in net and kept the game goalless.

Toronto didn’t waste any time once the second period began; Markus Paterson set up Jack McTiernan just seven seconds in for the 1-0 lead.

The Hounds got even five minutes later, with a strong wrist shot from forward Brad Morrissey beating Wu for the 1-1 goal.

Toronto went ahead again at 11:29 when McTiernan tipped in a shot from Noah Arsenault for his second of the game, but the Hounds refused to be left behind and tied it again with another power-play goal, this one from Luke Mylymok with just 48 seconds left in the period.

Hounds defenceman Zach Plucinski deked his way around a pair of Toronto defenders and scored the tie-breaking tally to put the Hounds ahead 3-2 five minutes into the third period.

Evan Pringle tied it again, picking a stray pass just out of reach of a Hounds defenceman and beating netminder Riley Kohonick to get the Young Nationals on equal terms.

After the Cooley goal put Notre Dame ahead for good, Cordel Larson clinched the win for the Hounds with an empty-netter.

The Hounds will be back in action against the Sudbury Nickel Capital Wolves on Tuesday evening (7 p.m. ET), after the Young Nationals take on the Cantonniers de Magog in the first game of the day (12 p.m. ET).