Marlies Edge Burlington Eagles In Horseshoe Atom Final

Lucas Rowe was in on both goals for the Toronto Marlboros in their 2-1 win over the Burlington Eagles Friday at Central Arena.   The victory gave the Marlies the atom rep AAA championship, one of six division titles up for grabs at the 115-team Golden Horseshoe Hockey Tournament.   Rowe wasn’t exactly strutting around the dressing room reminding his teammates of his accomplishments after the game.   On the winning goal, Rowe said he was nervous. “Coach Louie (Gialedakas) told me to go hard to the net so I did and the goalie was down,” he explained. “The puck was there and I just tipped it in. There were a lot of sticks in the zone so I just wasn’t giving up.”

Lucas Rowe was in on both goals for the Toronto Marlboros in their 2-1 win over the Burlington Eagles Friday at Central Arena. The victory gave the Marlies the atom rep AAA championship, one of six division titles up for grabs at the 115-team Golden Horseshoe Hockey Tournament.

Marlies edge Burlington Eagles in Horseshoe atom final. Josh Houstonof the Burlington Eagles unsuccessfully attempts to put the puck behind Toronto Marlboros goalie Christian Sbaraglia during the atom title game at Friday's Golden Horseshoe Hockey Tournament at Central Arena. Marlies won 2-1. Michael Ivanin

Rowe wasn’t exactly strutting around the dressing room reminding his teammates of his accomplishments after the game.

On the winning goal, Rowe said he was nervous.

“Coach Louie (Gialedakas) told me to go hard to the net so I did and the goalie was down,” he explained. “The puck was there and I just tipped it in. There were a lot of sticks in the zone so I just wasn’t giving up.”

Burlington goalie Adam Harris had prevented a sure goal by extending his arm across the goal line to stop the original shot, but a number of players on both teams tried and failed to direct the rebound, which seemed to sit in the crease for five or six seconds. Only Rowe managed to put it where he wanted it.

Rowe set up the first goal of the game in the second period, passing the puck to teammate Brendan Sellan, who took advantage of a fall by a Burlington defenceman to go in alone and beat Harris.

Rowe again downplayed his contribution.

“I just wanted to get off (the ice) because I was really tired,” he said. “ So I just passed the puck.”

Daniel D’Amico also earned an assist on the goal.

The only player to solve the Marlies goaltending on this night (and only the second player all tournament) was Eagles’ Brendan Bowie, who beat Marlies netminder Christian Sbaraglia using an enemy rearguard as a screen for his shot.

“He’s arguably the best player out there,” said Gialedakas, who determined that stopping Bowie was one key to winning after watching five minutes of the Burlington semifinal game earlier Friday. “He likes the right side but we tried to keep him outside and he got the one goal. It might have been deflected.”

Bowie’s tally late in the second period, set up by Cooper Hood and Matthew Vernooy, tied the score at 1-1 and the two teams traded scoring chances without success until Rowe’s heroics with 10:17 remaining in the third.

“We had a chance to get rid of the puck, but we just couldn’t,” said Burlington coach Jim Haslip of the winning goal. “They’re a hard-working team.”

Jacob Moreira and Jacob Thistle earned assists on the play for Toronto.

Asked what he discussed with his players after the game, Haslip said he told them they had nothing to be ashamed of.

“I believe we outplayed them, we outchanced them,” he said. “They’re rated No. 4 in Ontario and we’re No. 5.”