OAKS—A strong work ethic created opportunities that led to a victory for Owen J. Roberts Monday night. Down a goal entering the third period, the Wildcats scored two power-play goals 29 second apart and left Oaks Center Ice with a 3-2 win over Perkiomen Valley

Maximillian Cornell’s power-play goal with 9:38 left in regulation was the game winner as O.J. Roberts improved to 3-4 overall and 3-2 in Pioneer Athletic Conference play.

Grady Jones scored two goals for the Wildcats but it could be argued the senior did his best work at the other end of the ice killing penalties. He had ample opportunity. O.J. Roberts was whistled for eight of the game’s 14 minor penalties, including the first four of the game’s first five and five of the first six over the first two periods. At the end of that span Perkiomen Valley (2-4, 0-2 PAC was holding a 2-1 advantage.

 “[Killing penalties] is really important,” Jones said. “And making sure we’re staying off he kill. The kill is what kills us. They had two power play goals. If we didn’t play well on the kill tonight it could have hurt us.”

Wildcat coach Chuck Gorman is aware of the danger of too many trips to the penalty box.

“We’ve been inconsistent in that area,” he said, “taking too many penalties. “It’s something we’ve been working on, week in and week out.”

Each of the game’s five goal came in special-teams situations. Lewis Forth got the Vikings on the scoreboard with 9:35 left in the opening period when he tipped Robert Lynn’s shot from the right point past Wildcat goaltender Josh Burnheimer.

The Wildcats responded two minutes later when the Vikings lost the puck in the neutral zone   to set Jones up for a breakaway goal that tied the game.

Mason McCabe put Perkiomen Valley in front with his own power-play goal with 2:38 left in the middle period.

In the third frame, O.J. Roberts had all its gun blazing, outshooting the Vikings 16-6. But Viking goaltender Carson Moscariello was in top form and kept the Wildcats at bay.

“I’ve been coaching him now for three years, said Viking coach Dylan Nassoiy. “He’s a great kid, he has a great head on his shoulders. I can’t say anything bad about him.”

Jones scored the tying goal with 10:07 left in regulation on a forehander from the right faceoff circle during a five-on-three situation. Cornell’s game-winner came just 22 seconds later directly of an offensive right-circle faceoff.

The Vikings battled to the final buzzer but hurt their cause by taking three penalties down the stretch.

“They’re three-peat PAC champs,” Nassoiy said, “so I knew it was going to be a tough game going into it but I like the way my boys battled. I know we’re going to be seeing them again.”

• Both teams have been classified Class AAA by the Flyers Cup Committee. They are the only pulic-school teams among potential Class AAA invitees.

Perk Valley 1 1 0—2

O.J. Roberts 1 0 2—3

First-period goals: Lewis Forth (PV) from Robert Lynn and Declan Marks, 7:25 (pp); Grady Jones (OJR) from Franklin Hartman, 9:34 (sh)

Second-period goal: Mason McCabe (PV) from Jacob Edelstein and Lynn, 14:22 (pp)

Third-period goals: Jones (OJR) from Colin Daugherty, 6:53 (pp); Maximillian Cornell (OJR) from Colin Costello, 7:22 (pp)

Shots: Perk. Valley 31, OJR 41; Saves: Carson Moscariello  (PV) 38, Josh Burnheimer 29