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Cornwall Colts score late to down Pembroke Lumber Kings

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Ya gotta believe.

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The Cornwall Colts got an important home-ice win on Thursday – 3-1 over Pembroke – and they may be about to bring a 45-year-old New York Mets rallying cry to their dressing room.

Actually, forward Emerick Nadeau and a lot of his teammates have kept the faith all this season, that the Colts can rally down the stretch and qualify for the playoffs.

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“We just have to keep winning – the boys still believe,” said the 18-year-old Nadeau, Cornwall’s top point-getter. “I know I still believe in (the possibility). . . the playoffs, it’s a different level, a different atmosphere. For our veteran guys, the (20-year-olds), it would be such a good thing for them to have that experience.”

Make no mistake: the Colts have a daunting task in front of them. They have 14 games remaining, and with a record of 17-28-1-2, for 37 points, they head into the weekend in 11th-place overall, still seven points behind eighth-place Smiths Falls, the rung they need to reach.

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Looking for a getting-late-in-the-season surge to avoid missing the post-season for the second straight spring, Cornwall might be on to something. There was a bit of spark on the road last weekend, the Colts picking up a point when they lost 3-2 to Rockland in an overtime shootout, then winning 3-1 at Kanata on Sunday.

Then came the win against the sixth-place Lumber Kings, the hero at the civic complex being Matthew Toporowski, who scored with 2:37 remaining in regulation time to snap a 1-1 tie.

Can the Colts keep things rolling in Hawkesbury on Saturday night? After that, they close out the month with a game against the Ottawa Jr. Senators on Thursday.

“The chemistry has been really good,” said Nadeau, of Blainville, Que. “Everybody shows up ready to work, trying to get better. Everybody wants to get in the playoffs.”

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Nadeau did last year in his first CCHL campaign, with the Brockville Braves. It was his first year playing outside of Quebec, and he went to Brockville.

“I could barely speak a word (of English),” he said.

Now he’s fluently bilingual, expecting to play in Cornwall again next year, and looking for an NCAA scholarship down the road, so he can play hockey at a higher level, but also get a strong university education.

“For me, school is first, hockey is second,” said Nadeau, who graduated from Thousand Islands Secondary School in Brockville last year.

It’s no secret: the Colts have had a tough year, with a lot of player personnel moves. But Nadeau has managed to stay very positive.

“(The Cornwall experience has) been nice, I’ve really enjoyed playing here,” said Nadeau, who has 17 goals and 13 assists for 30 points. “You get so much support here from the fans, from the billets – it’s been great.”

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On Thursday, Toporowski’s game-winner was a beauty. The Colts were offensively strong for most of the third period, and their breakthrough came when Bryan O’Mara in the corner spotted Toporowski cruising into the mid-slot. O’Mara sent the pass out in front, and Toporowski had a quick release of a shot from the mid-circle hash mark that beat Pembroke goalie Reece Proulx over his right shoulder.

Sam Gaudreau scored into an empty Pembroke net with 23 seconds remaining.

Jeremy Cote opened the scoring for Cornwall with a power play goal 18:44 into the first period. Pembroke’s Brady Egan tied it up 7:15 into the second period.

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The Lumber Kings lost their captain in the first period, when former Colts player Jacob Shankar was ejected for a check to the head.

The Colts outshot Pembroke 40-32, and Rico DiMatteo got the goaltending win. Announced stars were Charlie Campbell (first, two assists), Toporowski (second, one goal, one assist) and Pembroke’s Proulx. The announced crowd was 680.

Also on Thursday night in a game with implications for Cornwall, the eighth-place Bears were in Kanata, and they beat the Lasers 4-3 in overtime. Noah Adams ended the contest, scoring 4:42 into sudden-death OT.

On Wednesday night, another team the Colts need to catch up to and surpass, Navan, skated to a 4-3 win in Rockland. The Grads got a 30-save, first-star performance from goalie Alex Wisco in the victory that, at the time, pushed Navan five points in front of Cornwall and to within two points of ninth-place Kemptville.

The Grads also earlier in the week had one of their players honoured as top performer for Week 19 of the campaign, Devyn Orpana getting the nod after collecting four points in three straight wins for his team.

thambleton@postmedia.com

twitter.com/FreeholderTodd

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