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League News
Campbell scores winner in final minute
Two outstanding hockey games, both decided by 5-4 scores, have put two teams on the brink of facing off for the Nova Scotia Junior Hockey League Championship.
Antigonish 5 Membertou 4
Venel Campbell’s power-play goal with 35 seconds remaining in regulation gave the Antigonish Jr. Bulldogs a 5-4 win in Membertou Wednesday evening. The Jr. Miners are now only trying to figure out how they could have played so well in the second period scoring four times but fired blanks the rest of the evening. In fact the Jr. Miners had a 4-3 lead on the Bulldogs after two periods. The Jr. Bulldogs jumped in front 2-0 after the opening period on goals from Tully Grant and Nick Marshall. Grant’s goal coming only 52 seconds after the opening face-off.
In the second period, Nathaniel Fuller kept his steady scoring going as he scored 1:31 into the middle period. His goal was followed by another from teammate Tyler Seymour. Tully Grant then put the Bulldogs back in front 3-2 with his second of the game before Landon Clark and Alec Campbell scored in the final 6 minutes to give the Jr. Miners their 4-3 lead after two.
The teams battled through half the third period before the Jr. Miners were penalized which resulted in Will Normandeau’s power-play goal for the Bulldogs tying the game at 4, setting up Campbell’s late game heroics. The Jr. Miners pulled goalie Lucas Fraser for an extra attacker in the final 25 seconds but could not score the tying goal.
The Bulldogs have outscored the Jr. Miners 15-14 in the opening four games of the Sid Rowe Divisional Final but lead it 3-1 going into Game 5 in Antigonish Friday night at 7:30. The Jr. Miners will try and stave off elimination and attempt to force a 6th game back in Membertou Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. Meanwhile:
South Shore Lumberjacks 5 Capstone Colts 4
The South Shore can advance to the Provincial Championship Series with a win before home fans Friday night in Bridgewater where Game 4 is scheduled in the Fred Fox Division Final at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday night in Cole Harbour Brennan Coleman continued his outstanding play for the Lumberjacks, netting three goals, two of which came in the first period in the final four minutes as the Lumberjacks took a 3-0 series lead winning 5-4. Elijah Leinwand opened the scoring for the South Shore in the first. Ben Fraser tallied for the Colts in the opening frame.
The Colts tied the game at 3-3 with a pair of goals in the second period from Noah Latimer and Xavier Coggins. Nick Morin then put the Colts in front 4-3 early in the third before John Shubaly and then Coleman with his third scored only 15 seconds apart mid-way through the third to give the Lumberjacks all they needed for their 5-4 win. Cohen Westlake and Alec Howie both collected a trio of assists for the winners.
The Colts played with an empty net in the game’s final 45 seconds but could not come up with an equalizing goal. If Game 5 is necessary, it will be played in Shearwater Saturday night at 7:30 p.m.