GrayJay Sports
League News
Mole outstanding in Leafs net
The surging Valley Maple Leafs continue to turn heads in the Nova Scotia Junior Hockey League. After losing their first seven games of the season to fall to 0-7-0, the Leafs have suddenly turned the corner and last evening won there fourth game in six starts 5-3 over the visiting South Shore Lumberjacks.
Leafs goaltender Graydon Mole played brilliantly for the Leafs who faced being short-handed for 7 minutes in the opening period, it was during this time in the last ten minutes of the first that the Lumberjacks terrorized the Leafs with shot after shot after shot but not being able to score on Mole. The only goal of the period came from the Lumberjacks Brandon Rideout shortly before the Lumberjacks went on their seven minute power-play. During this power-play, the Lumberjacks controlled play in the Leafs end but no matter how they tried and believe me, there were many attempts Mole stopped scoring attempt after scoring attempt. The Lumberjacks outshot the Leafs in the opening twenty minutes 33-11 and while that may seem hard to believe in reading this, if you were in attendance, there would not be a doubt in your head.
It was a different Maple Leafs team that took the ice for the second period, despite still being outshot 13-9, Nick Oickle scored a pair of very nice goals, one on a rebound to give the Leafs a 2-1 lead. Brennan Coleman tied it for the Lumberjacks at 2-2 with 2:46 left in the second but with Tyler Thomas serving an interference penalty, Jacob Gerhardt took a pass from inside the Leafs blue line from Owen McDermid that appeared to be a little faster than Gerhardt anticipated but with Gerhardt skating like an express locomotive, he caught the puck at the last minute and neatly put the puck behind Lumberjacks goalie Keegan Greencorn for a 3-2 Valley lead.
The third period saw the Leafs play hungrier than ever as they outshot the Lumberjacks 19-9 but despite their hunger, they allowed the Lumberjacks Kyle MacIntyre to tie the game at 3-3 just over four minutes into the final period of regulation. Willson Davison then scored the winning goal with 8:22 remaining as he pounced on a rebound and made it 4-3. Nick Oickle then scored his third of the night to complete his hat-trick with an empty net goal with 1 second left to make the final 5-3. The Maple Leafs are now 4-9-0 heading into their game against the Capstone Colts at 7:30 Sunday evening in Windsor. Elsewhere Friday night:
Antigonish Jr. Bulldogs 5 East Hants Penguins 2
It had to eventually come and it finally did on home ice Friday night in Lantz as the East Penguins lost their first game of the 24-25 regular season 5-2 to defending Nova Scotia and Atlantic Champions the Antigonish Jr. Bulldogs. Max Baldwin put the Bulldogs up 1-0 after the opening period before the teams scored five times in the second period to give the Bulldogs a 4-2 lead after forty minutes. Jayson Hanson made it 1-1 before Venel Campbell put the Bulldogs up 2-1. Devin Meagher then tied it for the Penguins at 2-2 before Campbell made it 3-2 Antigonish with 8:50 to play in the second. Will MacKinnon’s goal with under five minutes to play in the second gave the Bulldogs a 4-2 lead as the teams went to their dressing rooms after two periods. When they returned, Luc Sampson’s goal for the Bulldogs was the only one scored in the third period and Antigonish went home with a 5-2 win. Adam Tkacz stopped 28 of 30 shots in the Bulldog nets while Owen Forsythe and Ethan Twolan both recorded a pair of assists for the winners. The Bulldogs outshot the Penguins 38-30 as their record improved to 13-2-0. The Penguins are now 14-1-0.
Membertou Jr. Miners 5 Sackville 2
The Jr. Miners improved to 6-7-1 as they surprised the Sackville Blazers 5-2. Jarred Hicks connected for a hat-trick with a goal in each period of the game. Brady Doucette and Landon Clark were the other marksmen for the Jr. Miners who jumped out to a 4-0 lead with 13 minutes to play in regulation. The Blazers then struck for a pair of goals Gavin Reeves and Owen Fitzgerald before Doucette’s goal finished the game’s scoring for Membertou. Tyler Seymour had an outstanding night recording 4 assists for the Jr. Miners. Lucas Frasier turned away 41 of 43 shots in the Membertou net as the Jr. Miners were outshot 43-42 by the Blazers who saw their record fall to 9-5-1.
Capstone Colts 6 Brookfield Elks 1
The Elks continued their dreadful slump losing their 9th in a row to fall to 2-11-1 as they lost 6-1 to the Colts at C.F.B. Shearwater. Finn Merritt scored three times for the Colts to give him 12 on the season while Liam Andrews scored his 8th, 9th and tenth goals of the season for the Colts. The lone Elks goal came from the stick of Will Singer. With the win the Colts improved to 9-5-0 for 18 points, a single point back of 2nd place Sackville. Matthew Jessome and Cooper Puma both recorded three assists for the Colts who outshot the Elks 35-34. Conar Brace played nets for the Colts and turned away 33 of 34 shots. The Colts now have their eye on taking over second place in the Fox Division as they travel to Windsor for a 7:30 start against the surging Valley Maple Leafs Sunday night at 7:30 p.m.