The Colts defeated the Brockville Braves 3-0 on Thursday to secure a date with the Pembroke Lumber Kings in the league final.

PHOTO CREDIT - Robert Lefebvre/www.icelevel.com

Cornwall - Mar. 31, 2011 - Eight wins down, four to go.

The Cornwall Colts are now four wins away from their first league title in a decade after defeating the Brockville Braves 3-0 on Thursday night to move on to the Central Canada Hockey League finals.

The Colts were treated to a standing ovation from the civic complex crowd after beating their Highway 401 rivals to win the semi-final series in five games.

A couple of timely goals, some solid defensive play and a first-star goaltending performance from Pete Karvouniaris proved to be the difference for the Colts in the game.

As for the offence, it was the two Michaels - Borkowski and Rowbotham - who did the damage for the Colts. Borkowski connected early in the first period and Rowbotham did the same in the second before Jacob Laliberte scored a late empty-netter to clinch the victory.

Meanwhile, Karvouniaris turned in one of his best performances of the playoffs to date as he turned aside 31 shots - many of them from in close - to secure the shutout.

The road to the league championship won't get any easier for the Colts as they now face the defending champion Pembroke Lumber Kings in the best-of-seven finals.

The Colts and Lumber Kings were neck and neck for much of the regular season before Pembroke edged ahead late to finish first overall. The Lumber Kings swept Smiths Falls and Gloucester in the first two rounds of the playoffs.

GAME NOTES - Game 1 of the series will go Sunday night in Pembroke, while Game 2 will be back in Cornwall on Wednesday night (7:30 p.m.). Game 1 can be heard live on 97.3 FM CKON . . . . Lumber Kings GM/coach Sheldon Keefe got to do some pre-series scouting of the Colts as he was on hand for Thursday's game . . . . The announced attendance was 1,584 . . . . Colts forward Billy Ulrick took a hit into the boards in the second period and was slow to get up from it. He didn't skate in the third period . . . . Thursday's game was penalty-free save for one call, a high sticking infraction against Brockville late in the third period.