THUNDER BAY – Sporting Sidney Crosby’s famous No. 87, Nathan Irwin matched his hockey idol’s most famous feat, firing the Golden Goal in overtime to deliver a 2020 Special Olympics Canada Winter Games championship to his native Prince Edward Island.
Irwin unleashed a high, hard wrist shot that snuck in short side on the Team Ontario goaltender, earning his team a 4-3 win over Team Ontario in Saturday’s gold medal game at the C.J. Sanders Fieldhouse.
The championship-winner came 10 years and a day after Crosby scored his famous Golden Goal, earning Team Canada an Olympic title, on Feb. 28, 2010.
“It was amazing. I’m happy with my team,” said Irwin, who hails from Summerside, P.E.I.
“I shot it the first time. I hit (the goalie’s) pads. It came out of the crease. He was looking the other way and then I shot it again. I hit his shoulder and it went in.”
For Irwin, it was his second trip to a Special Olympics national tournament.
It’s old hat now, he said.
“This is normal for me,” Irwin said, with a chuckle.
“Newfoundland didn’t give us the win, but this time I enjoyed it ... so I’m happy with that. And the other team did awesome.
Team P.E.I . was in control of the match for much of the early going, building a 3-1 lead. But Ontario stormed back with a pair to tie the game and send it to an extra frame.
It was a nervous few moments, as they team got ready to play overtime, huddled at their bench discussing strategy.
Coach Peter Howatt, of Charlottetown, said it was an amazing finish, a back-and-forth contest that could have gone either way.
He said he wasn’t surprised it was Irwin who netted the winner.
“Nathan was our go-to player all tournament, really. He scored a lot of goals for us. Eighty-seven is a good Maritimer, so it all worked out,” Howatt said.
On the other rink, it was Team Ontario that took home the gold, downing Team Quebec 11-1.
Newmarket’s Ben Harding, who joined the Brantford Eagles squad for the Games, said it was an emotional win.
“It was really breathtaking. The guys played absolutely phenomenal all week and they thoroughly deserved the win. I was lucky enough to have been picked up to be brought a long on this journey and it’s been nothing but flying colours,” said the rugged defenceman, whose new team plays in the same town where The Great One, Wayne Gretzky, grew up.
Eagles assistant coach Dan Caradonna, said it was an all-around great performance.
“It helps when you have such great athletes,” Caradonna said.
“It means a lot. This is the first time that Brantford’s ever been at nationals for hockey. It means a lot to the community, it means a lot to the players to be good faces for the community and have a successful result.”
