Tottenham Railers Sweep Toronto Flyers to Advance to GMHL South Semi-Finals

The Tottenham Railers made a statement in the first round of the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League (GMHL) South Division playoffs, sweeping the #4 seed Toronto Flyers in two hard-fought games. With a thrilling overtime victory in Game 1 and a clutch performance in Game 2, the #5 seed Railers now advance to the semi-finals, where they will face the top-seeded Northumberland Stars.

Game 1: Tottenham 5, Toronto 4 (OT)

Monday, February 17th – Tottenham Community & Fitness Centre

The opening game of the series was a back-and-forth affair, with both teams trading momentum throughout. The Railers got off to a strong start, taking a 2-0 lead in the first period thanks to goals from Tighe Frazee and Roberto Matias. Toronto responded in the second period with a shorthanded goal from Cj Ireton and a power-play marker from Tomas Palandra, but Tottenham maintained the lead with another shorthanded goal from Matias.

Toronto surged ahead in the third period with goals from Carter Melcher and Henry Russell, briefly holding a 4-3 advantage. However, the Railers found a late equalizer when Malik Thibeault-Boisvert scored at 17:40 to force overtime. In the extra frame, Xavier Charbonneau played the hero, netting the game-winner with just six seconds remaining, securing a 5-4 victory for Tottenham.

Game 1 Three Stars:

⭐ Roberto Matias (TOT) – 2G
⭐⭐ Tighe Frazee (TOT) – 1G, 1A
⭐⭐⭐ Xavier Charbonneau (TOT) – 1G, 1A

Game 2: Tottenham 5, Toronto 3

Wednesday, February 19th – Paramount Ice Complex

Facing elimination, the Flyers came out firing in Game 2, outshooting Tottenham 44-26, but Railers goaltender Dominic Marquis stood tall with 41 saves, earning first-star honors. Toronto jumped out to a 2-0 lead with power-play goals from Giovanni Arangio and Michael Patruno late in the first period.

The Railers responded in the second, cutting the deficit in half with a power-play goal from Matias before Alexis Paradis tied the game at 18:16. Tottenham took control early in the third when Aïmy Royer struck just 44 seconds in. Toronto's Ryan Daponte briefly tied it at 3-3, but the Railers would not be denied, as Frazee and Charbonneau each tallied late goals to complete the comeback and seal the sweep.

Game 2 Three Stars:

⭐ Dominic Marquis (TOT) – 41 SV, .932 SV%
⭐⭐ Tighe Frazee (TOT) – 1G, 2A
⭐⭐⭐ Xavier Charbonneau (TOT) – 1G, 2A

Goaltending Battle

Toronto fired 44 shots in Game 2 but struggled to solve Dominic Marquis, whose outstanding performance in net helped Tottenham close out the series. In contrast, the Flyers' defense couldn't contain the Railers' attack when it mattered most, particularly in the third period of both games.

Key Performances

• Tighe Frazee (TOT): 2G, 3A in the series
• Xavier Charbonneau (TOT): 2G, 3A in the series, including the OT winner in Game 1
• Roberto Matias (TOT): 3G, 1A in the series
• Ryan Daponte (TOR): 1G, 3A in the series
• Giovanni Arangio (TOR): 2G, 1A in the series

Implications & What's Next

With the first-round sweep, the Tottenham Railers advance to the GMHL South Division semi-finals, where they will take on the #1 seed Northumberland Stars. The Stars finished the regular season as the division’s top team, setting up a challenging but exciting matchup for the Railers. Tottenham will need another strong performance from its top scorers and goaltender Dominic Marquis to keep their playoff run alive.