GrayJay Sports
League News
Colts advance - Bulldogs win Game 1
It is the way playoff hockey has generated fathoms and fathoms of high octane interest over many years whether it be Junior Hockey or the NHL, that being the 7th game of a playoff-series before a sold-out arena. This was exactly the case for the C.F.B. Shearwater Forum Friday evening as people were literally standing wherever they could to see as every seat in the house had been sold. Cheering fans with a large contingent on hand from Liverpool saw a wide-open 7th game of the Fox Divisional Semi-Final. This time despite four consecutive overtime games, the Colts nosed out the Privateers in regulation 3-2 and will open the Fox Division Final Saturday night in Shearwater against the East Hants Penguins at 7:30. Game 2 will be back in Lantz Sunday night at 6:30 p.m.
As for the thrilling 7th game Friday night, Liverpool dominated play for different stretches of time in the offensive zone and were rewarded with the first goal of the game as Kayden Nickerson was left alone unprotected to the right of Colts goalie Alex MacVicar and Liverpool took a 1-0 lead after twenty minutes. Liverpool outshot the Colts 16-9 in the first and 37-27 overall but MacVicar played superbly including key saves on Daniel Kline and Nickerson in front of the net early in the first. Malcom Bussey had a clear break for the Privateers but he shot it directly on MacVicar who made a pad save. Bussey missed a golden scoring opportunity when he shot and as it appeared the puck was going into the net, it ended up sliding across the crease and staying out. On another 1st period opportunity, the Privateers with the puck in the crease, seemingly ready to put it in when the play was blown down rather quickly by an on-ice official. Tyler Puma missed close in front of the Privateers net and it was the best scoring chance for the Colts in the opening period.
In the second, the Privateers Nickerson missed in close to the right of MacVicar. Nickerson and Daniel Kline both played outstanding games for the Privateers and missed an excellent 2 on 1 scoring chance with about five minutes gone in the second. The Colts Brayden Hooper-Richard went in on a partial break but he let a clear shot go and it sailed to the far right of Larade in the Liverpool net. Gage Zwicker of the Privateers took the first penalty of the game with 12:10 left in the second for cross-checking and with 53 seconds left in the Colts power-play, Brady Crossley scored his fifth power-play goal of this year’s playoffs as a shot was tipped in after the puck hit Larade and the game was tied 1-1 after forty minutes. The Colts Ben King almost made it 2-1 as he missed close in on a sharp shot. The Colts picked up their play considerably in the second half of the middle period with Hooper-Richard missing in close and Crossley hitting Matt Osborne with likely the stiffest check of the night at the Colts blue line. Kline had without a doubt the highlight play of the night as he split the Colts defence on a beautiful play but then missed in close. Dylan Patterson had another excellent chance for Liverpool as he had a wide-open net with the puck laying at his skates but he somehow could not gain proper possession and failed to score. The Colts then came back and were all over the Liverpool net in every possible manner with 47 seconds remaining in the second but they could not score. Liverpool had a 13-12 shots advantage in the second. The third period was somewhat of a different story as the Privateers coughed up the puck in front of their net twice early in the third. Then in a span of 54 seconds, the Colts Connor McNamara and Tyler Puma connected for the go-ahead goal and then the game winner. McNamara pounced on the puck directly in front of the Liverpool net to make it 2-1 before Puma tallied the game winner. The Privateers then took the game’s third minor penalty with 17:01 to play in regulation, only to see Malcom Bussey score short-handed as he was wide open in front of the Colts net. Bussey and Kline then went in 2 on 1 for Liverpool but Kline’s shot sailed over the Colts net. With just under 8 minutes to play and the Colts serving the last minor of the game, Liverpool mounted some pressure as they were all over the Colts net but came away frustrated and empty-handed. Tyler and Cooper Puma came in close on a great passing play but were denied by Larade. With 3:31 to play, the Privateers were once again all over the Colts net but could not find the magic to tie the game at 3. Liverpool applied the pressure in the closing stages and pulled Larade twice but somehow could not come up with the tying goal and lost the series 4 games to 3. Elsewhere Friday Night:
Antigonish 3 Membertou 0
The opening game of the Sid Rowe Divisional Final was played in Antigonish with Cody MacEachern earning a shut-out in the AA Munro Jr. Bulldogs 3-0 whitewashing of the Jr. Miners. The teams played a scoreless first period but Ryan MacLellan and Jake MacDonald scored in the second for Antigonish before MacDonald added his second of the game in the third to make the final 3-0. The teams fired 31 shots apiece at each other with Hunter Chenhall playing nets for the Jr. Miners. Game 2 will be in Antigonish Sunday night at 7:30 p.m.