Mark Reners' second goal 8:30 into overtime gave the Brooks Bandits a 5-4 win over the Minnesota Wilderness in a semifinal of the Royal Bank Cup Canadian national junior A tournament Saturday in Summerside, Prince Edward Island.
The victory sends the Bandits into today's championship game against Summerside, while the Wilderness' season came to an end.
Reners scored the lone goal of the first period before Minnesota pulled even on a second-period goal by Duluth Marshall alumnus Jordan Shockley. Conrad Sampair scored 44 seconds later to give the Wilderness a 2-1 lead. Brooks responded with its second power-play goal as R.J. Reed shot off the post and in to tie the game.
Superior International Junior Hockey League player of the year Mike Dietrich gave the Wilderness a 4-2 lead with a pair of goals, including on a two-man advantage with 12 seconds left in the period.
Reed again scored on a power play to halve the deficit and the Bandits forced overtime when Dakota Mason's chip from behind the net deflected off a Wilderness defenseman's skate and into an open net with 18.7 seconds remaining.
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Reners snapped the game-winner over goaltender Gordy Defiel's shoulder to complete the comeback.
