It was a third period that really had an overtime feel to it.

As the clock kept ticking down Friday night at the T.G. Smith Centre in Steinbach - you just knew whoever scored the next goal was going to the 2016 Allan Cup final.

That next goal went to Dane Crowley who scored with 4:28 left as the South East Prairie Thunder defeated the Grand Falls-Windsor Cataracts 2-1.

“It was a gutsy, gutsy effort,” said Prairie Thunder head coach Brad Purdie. “After the stuff we had to go through yesterday – to battle back after going to bed probably at 3 a.m. and some guys going to work today. Win or lose these guys were champions in my mind. They just battled so hard.”

Crowley slipped the puck past Cataracts goaltender Bryan Gillis who stopped 39 of 41 shots in the semifinal.

“We knew that five-on-five and four-on-four, or five-on-four, whatever it was, that we had the advantage,” said Crowley. “They hadn't scored on us all game. So we just had to keep on working in that third period. We were tired but we kept on going.”

Grand Falls-Windsor's lone goal was scored on a penalty shot that was awarded to Brandon Bussey with 4:15 remaining in the middle frame.

The Prairie Thunder will face the Bentley Generals at 3 p.m. today and the winner will accept the Allan Cup for the third time.

Bentley advanced after downing the Shellbrook Elks 3-1 in the other semifinal.

Mike Hellyer, who scored the Prairie Thunder's first goal of the game at 14:44 of the first period, says it's going to be a great Allan Cup final.

“We're going to have to conserve our energy probably early on,” said Hellyer. “We're going to be a little tired compared to their schedule but then you just kind of let the crowd take over and let your adrenaline go, flip a coin and see who's going to win.”

The Prairie Thunder shutdown the Generals 2-0 in the 2015 final in Clarenville.

Bentley edged South East 4-3 in double overtime in the 2009 final in Steinbach.