The GMHL South Division Semi-Final came to a dramatic conclusion on Thursday night, as the #5 seed Tottenham Railers completed a historic upset, eliminating the #1 seed Northumberland Stars with a 6-4 victory in Game 5. The Railers, who fought their way through a grueling five-game series, delivered a dominant performance on the road at the Keeler Centre, securing their spot in the South Division Finals.

Game Summary

First Period – Frazee Sparks Tottenham’s Offense

The Stars struck first just past the halfway mark of the opening frame, with Thomas Johnston finishing off a setup from Jaden Smith and Daniil Tyurikov at 10:21. However, Tottenham responded with authority. Tighe Frazee, who would go on to have a monster game, buried a power-play goal at 12:17 to even the score. He added another just three minutes later, finishing a feed from Malik Thibeault-Boisvert to give Tottenham a 2-1 lead heading into the first intermission.

Second Period – Northumberland Regains Control, But Tottenham Responds

Northumberland pushed back in the second, with Johnston scoring his second of the night just 1:02 into the period to tie the game. The Stars regained the lead at 10:18 when Ross Maycock capitalized on the power play, converting a pass from Johnston to make it 3-2 Northumberland.

However, Tottenham refused to go away. Roberto Matias pulled the Railers even at 14:16, finishing a passing play from Alexis Paradis and Cody Jessop, setting up a dramatic final period with the score tied 3-3.

Third Period – Railers Surge to Victory

The Railers wasted no time reclaiming the lead, as Cody Jessop scored just 40 seconds into the third period, giving Tottenham a 4-3 advantage. The game remained tense until the midway point, when Xavier Charbonneau extended the lead at 11:39, assisted by Thibeault-Boisvert.

Northumberland cut the deficit to 5-4 at 12:03 when Ryan Boon finished off a setup from Zakhar Yevdokimov and Owen Brady, setting up an intense final stretch. But Frazee delivered the dagger at 14:06, completing his hat trick with an unassisted goal to put Tottenham ahead 6-4.

The game ended with fireworks, as Northumberland took multiple penalties in the final seconds, including a game misconduct for Johnston, Brady, and Poff, signaling their frustration as their season came to an unexpected end.

Goaltending Battle

Despite facing a heavy 56-shot barrage, Northumberland’s Brady Dyer kept his team in the fight, making 50 saves on 56 shots. However, it was Tottenham’s Anton Nikulin who stood tall when it mattered most, turning aside 36 of 40 shots (.900 SV%) to backstop his team to the series-clinching win.

Key Performances

• Tighe Frazee (TOT) – 3G, 1A – Hat trick performance, including the game-winning goal, led the Railers to victory.
• Anton Nikulin (TOT) – 36 saves, .900 SV% – Strong performance in goal, holding off Northumberland’s offense.
• Thomas Johnston (NTH) – 2G, 1A – Led the way for the Stars before being ejected at the final buzzer.
• Cody Jessop (TOT) – 1G, 1A – Scored the go-ahead goal early in the third period.

Implications

With this victory, the Tottenham Railers pull off one of the biggest upsets of the season, knocking off the top-seeded Northumberland Stars and advancing to the South Division Finals. The loss marks a heartbreaking end for Northumberland, who entered the playoffs as favorites but couldn’t overcome Tottenham’s relentless attack.

What’s Next?

The Tottenham Railers will now move on to the South Division Finals, where they will look to continue their Cinderella run. Their opponent will be determined as the GMHL Playoffs roll on. Meanwhile, the Northumberland Stars will be left to regroup and reflect on what could have been after a promising regular season came to a shocking end.