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Playoff Positions to be decided in final game of tourney
Newfoundland has been eliminated and the host Liverpool Privateers have clinched the fourth and final playoff berth at this year’s Don Johnson Memorial Cup in Liverpool, Nova Scotia. What remains unknown is where New Brunswick, PEI and Nova Scotia Champions the Antigonish Jr. Bulldogs will finish. A PEI win Friday night will vault them into first place with 9 points or even an overtime win against the host Liverpool Privateers will give them eight points and a tie with Antigonish. PEI would win the tie breaker as they defeated Antigonish in the round robin 4-2 on Wednesday. New Brunswick finished at 2-1-1 for 7 points and can only secure second spot if Liverpool were to defeat PEI Friday night. In play on Friday:
Antigonish 5 Newfoundland 2
The Conception Bay North Stars needed to win in order to stay alive for a play-off berth but mere seconds after Kyle Petten was sent to the penalty box for unsportsmanlike conduct, a crash of bodies took place around the Newfoundland net and the puck could not be covered by the Newfoundland goaltender and Sam Grant put the Nova Scotia Champs up 1-0. Zachary Lorette then scored only 15 seconds later and Antigonish was up 2-0. The Bulldogs kept applying pressure and Luke Baldwin had a goal stolen from him on a fabulous glove save by North Star Ryan Petten. A few moments later Bulldogs goalie Adam Tkacz robbed Matthew King. Something rarely seen in hockey but the Bulldogs Ethan Twolan was assessed a double minor for head contact but 48 seconds later the Bulldogs scored short-handed to go ahead 3-0 despite being outshot 11-10 in the first period. In the second, Sam Grant had a goal stolen from him by Petten in the CBN nets. Cameron Lohnes was denied by Tkacz on a clear cut break away with Tkacz making a great blocker save. Zachary Lorette made it 4-0 Bulldogs when he scored from the right face-off circle but CBN finally got on the scoreboard with 4:22 left in the second when Dawson Crane drilled a shot between Tkacz’s legs. Crane scored again to make it 4-2 Antigonish in the third but Ethan Twolan added the final goal of the game late to give the Bulldogs the 5-2 win. Tkacz stood out for the Bulldogs as he stopped 45 of 47 shots as Antigonish was outshot 47-28 including 19-10 in the third period.