2015 TELUS Cup

GUEST SCORES LATE, TORONTO EDGES COLLÈGE NOTRE-DAME

DAVID BRIEN

RIVIÈRE-DU-LOUP, Que. – James Guest’s second goal of the game with 3:32 left was the winner, leading the Toronto Young Nationals past the Albatros du Collège Notre-Dame 3-2 in a back-and-forth game Wednesday night at the 2015 TELUS Cup.

Ryan Bonsteel took care of the Young Nationals’ other goal, while the Albatros turned to Francis Stachtchenko and Raphaël Santerre for both of theirs.

Jake Joffe and Max Routledge picked up assists on both of Guest’s goals.

The Young Nationals were first to get on the board with 2:03 left in opening period, thanks to Guest, but Santerre’s shot made its way up and over Toronto goaltender Dalton Ewing with 5.9 seconds left to send the game to the intermission tied 1-1.

Toronto came out quickly to start the second period and retook the lead just 18 seconds in when Bonsteel picked up the rebound of an Alex Ierullo shot and tucked it behind Tristan Bérubé to make it 2-1.

That would be the lone goal of the middle frame, despite a fast pace and numerous chances by both sides.

Stachtchenko brought the Albatros even again eight minutes into the third period, redirecting an absolute bullet from Yan Aucoin while parked in front of Ewing.

With overtime looming, Guest took a perfect pass from Joffe and beat Bérubé to put the Young Nationals up for good, and leave them in prime position to lock up a second consecutive semifinal berth.

Neither team had success on the power play; Toronto failed to score on its four opportunities with the man advantage, with Collège Notre-Dame doing the same on its six tries.

The Young Nationals are back on the ice Thursday to face the Grenadiers de Chateauguay in a winner-goes-to-the-semifinals match-up (4 p.m. ET), while the Albatros face a tough test against the unbeaten Regina Pat Canadians (7:30 p.m. ET).