Yakovlev’s OT winner brings Wings season to sudden end.

The Aberdeen Wings’ awesome playoff run came to an abrupt halt on Saturday (May 13, 2017) as Evgeny Yakovlev’s goal 2:43 from the end of the first overtime period lifted the Aston Rebels to a 2-1 win in the third game of their Best of Three North American Hockey League Robertson Cup semi-final series.

Teams played through a scoreless first period at the Essentia Health Duluth Heritage Center and Kevin Fitzgerald notched the lone goal of the second to put the Wings in front. Gianluca Esteves evened it up in the opening minute of the third and that held up all the way to Yakovlev’s game winner.

Both goaltenders turned in stellar efforts in this one, Mareks Mitens stopping 23 of 24 to pick up the win for the Rebels while Forbes Ploszaj made 33 saves in his final game of his junior career.

While the Wings are finished for this season, the Rebels advance to the league’s Robertson Cup championship game against the Lone Star Brahmas who reached the final with a two-game sweep against the Janesville Jets.