The Valley Maple Leafs played a disciplined game against the Sackville Blazers Friday night and after all their shortcomings this season, the Leafs actually deserved more but ended up losing 4-3 to the first place Blazers who recorded their 9th win in 13 games to date this season. With only 2:05 being played in the opening period, Eric Wozniewicz gave the Leafs a 1-0 lead. It stayed that way for the next 4:15 when the Blazers Alex Charest let a wrist go from the point which beat Aidan Durnford high to the left side as it went by his mask with Durnford partially on his pads in the crease. Only 55 seconds later Degen Noble let a shot go from the face-off circle to score his 10th of the season for Sackville. Noble with his 11th made it 3-1 Blazers on sloppy, sloppy defense by the Leafs as Noble picked the puck up to the left of Durnford after Durnford skated too far out of his net and was just making it back to the net when Noble dumped it into an almost empty net. Play went back and forth in the opening period as the Valley was up in shots 5-4 before Sackville took command for awhile and outshot the Leafs 11-1 before the Leafs gained a new breath of life and outshot the Blazers 9-2. Sackville had a 17-15 advantage overall in the opening frame.
In the second period Liam Ferguson for the Leafs scored the period’s only goal on a slap shot from the point which seemed to deflect off a stick as it went into the Blazers net but Ferguson was still given credit for the goal. The Blazers Daniel Surrette missed on clear cut breakaway and then Mitchell Comeau picked up a loose puck for the Blazers and went in alone only to shoot it 15 feet over the Leafs net. Brady MacLean missed a glorious scoring chance for the Leafs with the Sackville goalie down but MacLean with his stick on the puck simply could not lift it over and into the Blazers net. The Leafs had another great chance going in 3 on 1 but Ryan MacDonald with two chances couldn’t capitalize either time.
In the third period, Daniel Surrette netted the game winner for the Blazers with 11:50 left as he shot from the point and it deflected at the last split second to Durnford’s left-side. A mere 44 seconds later, the Blazers were sloppy with the puck enabling Brady MacLean to get a shot alone in front of the Blazers net to bring the Leafs back to within a goal. However it was as close as they could get with the Blazers outshooting the Leafs 15-8 in the third period and 42-40 overall in the game. Sackville goes right back into action at home Saturday afternoon against Membertou while the Leafs are off until their Cape Breton road trip next weekend when they will play Port Hawkesbury Friday, Membertou Saturday night and Eskasoni Sunday afternoon.
Membertou 7 Cole Harbour Capstone Colts 3
The Jr. Miners won their 7th of the season in 10 games with an easy 7-3 win over the now 3-5-0 Colts. The Jr. Miners jumped in front 5-1 and led 5-2 after forty minutes. Kody Groves and Coby McCarron scored first period goals for Membertou while Stephen Warwick tallied for the Colts. The Jr. Miners went up 5-1 in the second with three consecutive goals by Josh MacKay who also added 2 assists, Nathaniel Fuller with his first of two to go along with an assist and Blake Cox who also added an assist. Tyler Puma scored the Colts second goal. Josh Moore brought the colts to within a pair with 6:18 having been played in the third but Fuller with his second of the game and AJ Ley scored the Colts 6th and 7th goals. Membertou outshot the Colts 33-30. The Jr. Miners finish their HRM weekend road trip in Sackville Saturday evening.
GrayJay Sports