The second half of the 2022-23 Nova Scotia Junior Hockey League season kicked off in Membertou Wednesday night and as this article was written, the writer was having difficulty deciding what would be the game highlights.  One thing for sure it was not the way the game concluded, sure the Jr. Eagles Sonny Kabatay’s 22nd goal of the season with 1:20 left in overtime to give the Eagles a 5-4 overtime was win was exciting enough but before the players could be ushered from the ice, a wild melee transpired with 14 misconducts,11 fighting majors, a pair of double minors and a minor penalty were handed out.  A total of 293 minutes in penalties were handed out including another five misconducts in the opening period along with four double minors for roughing.  These same two teams are scheduled for their traditional Christmas week re-match Friday evening in Eskasoni but look for the benches to be reduced in size once league officials review the referee’s report in full after the shenanigans displayed Wednesday night. As for the game, the overtime goal by Kabatay was his second of the game as he scored in the second to put the Jr. Eagles up 3-1.  The first period ended tied at 1-1 after goals from the Jr. Miners Connor MacIntyre and the Jr. Eagles Trey Sturge.  Bryce MacKenzie put the Jr. Eagles ahead 2-1 which was followed by Kabatay’s goal.  Dylan MacDonald pulled the Jr. Miners to within one going into the third period as he delivered with 1:58 remaining in the middle period.  Blake Cox’s 14th goal of the season short-handed tied the game at 3-3 before Artis Novak came back and put the Eagles in front 4-3 45 seconds later to tie the game.  Nathaniel Fuller’s 13th goal of the season for the Jr. Miners with 24 seconds remaining in regulation tied the contest at 4-4 and sent the game into a five-minute sudden-death overtime.  Eskasoni outshot Membertou 36-35 and in the process.  The win for the Eagles proved to be their 12th in 16 games this season and allowed them to move back into sole position of first place in the Sid Rowe Division, 2 points ahead of the Antigonish Jr. Bulldogs.  Membertou is now 7-11-1 for 15 points and still fighting for a playoff spot.  They are presently 4 points behind the Pictou County Scotians and the Port Hawkesbury Strait Pirates who each have 19 points.