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Author of the article:
Tim Ruhnke • Special to The Recorder and Times
Published Apr 09, 2026 • 2 minute read
Raphaël Tellier, who scored the game-winning goal on an overtime penalty shot on Wednesday night, is shown celebrating a goal against the Smiths Falls Bears on April 3, 2026. Photo by ROBERT LEFEBVRE /Special To The Recorder And TimesArticle content
Last year’s Bogart Cup champion has advanced to this year’s finals.
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The Rockland Nationals defeated the Kemtpville 73’s 3-1 on Wednesday night to sweep their Central Canada Hockey League (CCHL) best-of-seven semifinal series. Rockland, which ran away with the regular-season title, will take on the winner of the other series between the Smiths Falls Bears and Ottawa Jr. Senators.
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Ottawa staved off elimination at home in game four Wednesday night when Raphaël Tellier scored on a penalty shot at 15:37 of the first overtime period to give the three-seed Jr. Senators a 2-1 victory. With a 3-1 series lead, the two-seed Bears could advance with a win in game five in Smiths Falls on Friday night.
Tellier was awarded the penalty shot while Smiths Falls was on a power play in the extra frame. The Bears had forced overtime when, with the Smiths Falls net empty, Dean Carvalho scored with about 38 seconds to go in regulation.
The Jr. Sens had been leading since Wynston Iserhoff scored at 14:01 of the first period.
Nicolas Morvan made 31 saves for Ottawa in the victory. Brett Ruddy stopped 20 of the 22 shots he faced in goal for the Bears.
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Tellier, Carvalho and Iserhoff received the first, second and third stars respectively.
If the series goes to a sixth game, it would be played in Ottawa Sunday night.
73’s had early leads
As had been the case in game three in Rockland the previous night, Owen Redmond gave the 73’s the lead in the first period on Wednesday. That lead held until the third period, when Mavrick Brunet scored on a power play at 7:22. CCHL scoring champ Gabriel Le Houillier netted the game-winner – his 11th goal of the playoffs – at 8:43. Kemptville pulled its goalie with just over one minute left in regulation, and Danel Myloserdnyy scored into the empty net at 19:41 to seal the Nationals’ victory.
Brunet, who also had an assist, was named first star. Redmond and Myloserdnyy received the second and third stars.
Kayden Newton picked up his eighth win of the playoffs for the Nationals. Rylan Donovan, the CCHL’s Goaltender of the Year who recorded seven shutouts during the regular season, made 25 saves in game four.
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Game four attendance at the North Grenville Municipal Centre was 789.
Rockland outscored Kemptville 17-5 in the series. The Nationals were 52-3 during the regular season and defeated eight-seed Carleton Place in five games in the quarterfinals.
The 73’s had finished the season in fourth place with a record of 36-16-2-1, one point behind Ottawa. Kemptville won its quarterfinal series with five-seed Navan in five games.
In 2024-2025, the 73’s were the seven-seed in the playoffs after picking up 26 wins in the 55-game regular season. Kemptville was then swept by Carleton Place in the quarterfinals.
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