The Athens Aeros didn't let a little thing like a one-goal deficit after the first period get in their way to victory on home ice on Thursday night.

Instead, the Aeros scored a single goal of their own midway through the second period and got two more in the third as they beat the Casselman Vikings 3-1 and captured the Eastern Ontario Junior Hockey League's Rideau-St. Lawrence Conference crown for the first time since 1994.

Athens won the best-of-seven series 4-2 and advances to the overall league championship against the Ottawa Canadians, who swept the Renfrew Timberwolves 4-0 in the Metro-Valley Conference final, which ended a week ago.

Athens has never won an EOJHL title, losing to the Clarence Beavers in 1994 and Renfrew in 1993, while the Canadians won in 2010 and have four other titles as the South Ottawa Canadians (1979, 1981, 1982 and 1989) under their belt.

Adam Wensink's power-play goal 7:56 into the first period was the only goal Casselman would score on Erik Miksik, as he turned aside the other 40 Vikings shots. Miksik is now 12-5 in the playoffs with a sterling 2.73 GAA and .936 SV%.

Michael Byrne, in the second period, and Brian Berry and David Empey, in the third, scored for Athens. Defenceman Empey figured in all three goals, drawing assists on the first two.