League News

   

Bulldogs hang on for win over Strait

The Antigonish AA Munro Jr. Bulldogs now require 11 wins in order to advance to the Don Johnson Memorial Cup for a second consecutive year but their opening win of the 22-23 playoffs started off easy before the Strait Pirates put a scare into them in the latter stages of the game.  The Jr. Bulldogs were cruising with 1-0 and 2-0 leads after the first and second periods and went ahead 4-0 with 15:44 to play in regulation before their defence began to wither allowing three Port Hawkesbury goals.  The Bulldogs did hang on and win 4-3 in Antigonish Friday night.  Will Fitzsimmons, Sam Grant with his first of two and Bradley Armstrong put the Jr. Bulldogs up 3-0 before Grants’s second goal made it 4-0.  Then with 7:04 remaining, Dave Matthews made it 4-1 Bulldogs, then Owen Stockdale mae it 4-2 Bulldogs and then Matthews again with 1:17 remaining had the Strait Pirates trailing by only a single goal. The Strait Pirates outshot the Jr. Bulldogs 32-26.  Antigonish has won 4 Don John Cups, the last one in 2006 and the three before in the early 80’s.  They advanced last season to the Atlantic Championship in Tracadie, N.B. but did not make it to the championship game.

 
 
Eskasoni    6        Pictou     4
 
Dante Basque was sizzling hot last evening as he recorded a point on every Jr. Eagles goal - 3 goals and 3 assists to lead his Jr. Eagles past the Pictou County Scotians 6-4 in the opening game off their Sid Rowe Divisional Semi-Final.  The League’s Regular Season Scoring Champion Sonny Kabatay chipped in with a goal and three assists.  In the opening period, Basque put the Eagles up 1-0 and then in the last five minutes, Nathan Peters tied it for the Scotians at 1-1 before Kabatay and Jacob Denny scored t make ti 3-1 Eagles after one period.
The Scotians rallied in the second period to take a 4-3 lead after 40 minutes one goals from Camden Burgess, Nate Supryka and Thomas Kennally who all recorded 2 assists as well.  The Eagles then scored three of their own in the third, 2 from Basque and one from Bryce MacKenzie who actually scored the game winner with 6:43 to play.  Basque’s 3rd goal of the game was an empty netter with 21 seconds remaining.  The Scotians outshot the Eagles 31-30 with Game 2 scheduled for Pictou at the Trenton Community Sports Centre Sunday evening at 6:00 p.m.
Mar 4, 2023