GrayJay Sports
League News
Privateers score four in third
The East Hants Penguins led Liverpool 2-1 after 40 minutes allowing the Privateers only 3 shots on net in the middle period and a total of 11 after forty minutes. It all went for naught as the Privateers scored 4 goals in the third period to defeat the Penguins 5-3 in Lantz Sunday night to take a 3-2 lead in their semi-final series. Game 6 is back in Liverpool Tuesday night at 7:00 p.m. The winner of this series will advance to play the Capstone Colts in the Division Final and for a berth in the Nova Scotia Junior Hockey Championship Series against the winner of Eskasoni and Antigonish. Most of Sunday’s action came in the third period as the teams had battled into overtime Saturday in Liverpool before the Pens tied the series at 2-2. Brendan Klot picked up a rebound with 7:01 to play in the first and put the Pens up 1-0 with a shot that seemingly caught Aidan Durnford by surprise. With 1:17 to go in the first, Liverpool’s Sam Hope squeezed between the Pens defence and scored on a breakaway. The teams exchanged eight shots apiece in the opening period. The only scoring in the second came off the stick of Devin Meagher as he put the Pens ahead 2-1 entering the third. The goal came after the Privateers had killed four consecutive penalties while managing only 3 shots on goal in the 20 minutes while East Hants took 15 at Durnford. The goal resulted just as the Privateers fourth minor had expired and the Privateers player was on the ice but about half-a-skate length behind Morgan Lake going down the right side of Durnford and Lake slid a spectacular pass across to Devin Meagher who put the Pens up by a goal.
In the third, Malcom Bussey netted the tying goal at 2-2 when they won the face-off allowing Bussey to get a quick shot off and beat Marcus Pettipas with 12:37 to play in regulation. Less than two minutes later on a highlight reel goal, Jude Greenwood tallied after going in on a 3 on 1 but Dylan Patterson did not get ample room to slide the puck over to Alec Howie as it went off Howie’s stick but Patterson stayed right on the puck and went behind the net and whipped out in front to Greenwood and Liverpool led 3-2 with slightly more than ten minutes to play. Carson Gallant picked up a pair of assists for the Privateers and even when Liverpool was not looking sharp in the opening forty minutes still played a dominant game carrying the puck numerous times and trying to set up other teammates. Kyle Hopkins made it 4-2 Privateers on a slap shot from the point with 7:06 remaining. East Hants then turned it back into a one goal game as Seaan Freeman struck with a shot 15 feet in front of the Liverpool net to make it 4-3 before Alec Howie deposited an empty net goal with 34 seconds remaining to give Liverpool the win, their third consecutive on East Hants ice while the Penguins have won twice in Liverpool. Whether that trend continues will not be known until the two teams collide again at the Queens Place Emera Centre Tuesday night at 7:00 p.m.