Nantel’s overtime winner gives Eagles control against Walleye

The Colorado Eagles grabbed control of its Best of Seven East Coast Hockey League West Conference final with the Toledo Walleye with a 4-3 overtime edge at the Budweiser Events Center in Loveland Colorado on Wednesday (May 17, 2017).

After earning a split in the first two games at the Huntington Center in Toledo the middle three games will be played in Colorado with the series shifting back to Ohio if necessary for games six and seven.

Teams were even at the end of all three regulation periods, 2-2 after the first before playing through a scoreless middle frame and both adding one more down the stretch.

Shawn St. Amant had the home team in front just 14 seconds into the contest, but the Walleye struck back with the next two goals, Kyle Bonis firing his 10^th of the post season at the 11:08 mark and Tylor Spink adding his fourth a little more than three minutes later.

Alex Belzile fired his 13^th of the playoffs to even things up 2:37 from the end of the opening period and that score remained intact until the final frame.

Eagles recaptured the lead with a goal from Sergei Boikov 3:31 into the final period but Matt Caito fired his first of the playoffs with eight minutes to go to even things up again.

Julien Nantel lifted Colorado to the win just 80 seconds into the overtime period.

Jeff Lerg made 27 saves in goal for the Walleye.

Game four will also be played at the Events Center on Thursday (May 18).