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League News
Colts score SO win over Jr. Bulldogs
The two teams who clashed for the Nova Scotia Junior Hockey League Championship during the 22-23 season, met for the first time this season in Antigonish Saturday evening. It was a classic as both teams could not decide a winner in 60 minutes of regulation or during the 3 on 3 five-minute sudden-death. A shoot-out was then required and the Jr. Bulldog sticks went silent as they missed on three consecutive opportunities after having decided to shoot first in the shoot-out. Will Fitzsimmons, Sam Grant and Venel Campbell all missed for the Bulldogs as did Trayner NcCulloch of the Colts. After the Bulldogs Sam Grant missed, Benjamin Veinot connected for the Colts to give them a 6-5 lead. Venel Campbell then had to score for the Bulldogs and he couldn’t giving the Colts the win. The Colts with the win moved into a first place tie with the East Hants Penguins with a record of 11-1-2 while the Jr. Bulldogs fell to 14-1-1. Cole Good and Riley Henman tallied for the Colts 59 seconds apart in period 1 before the Jr. Bulldogs came back with a goal from Sam Grant in the second. Cody Garcin with the Colts playing short-handed put his team up 3-1. Ethan Twoolan recorded three goals and an assist for the losing Bulldogs while Tully Grant was the other Bulldog scorer. The other two goals for the Colts came from Trayner McCulloch, one of which was also a short-handed marker giving the Colts a pair on the evening. Ryan Welsh and Copper Puma both recorded three assists for the Colts. The Jr. Bulldogs and Colts will wrap up their season series at C.F.B. Shearwater Friday Nov 24 at 7:30 p.m.
Pictou County Scotians 3 South Shore 2
The Scotians received tremendous goaltending support from Eli James as he turned away 44 of 46 Lumberjack shots, allowing Pictou to escape Bridgewater with a 3-2 win Saturday afternoon. The Scotians were outshot 46-26 by the Lumberjacks but still managed to get the win on a first period goal from Nick MacMillan and second period goals by Nate Supryka and Jack Tompkins. Daniel LeBlanc and Cohen Westlake scored for the South Shore who fell to 6-6-1 on the season for 13 points. Pictou garnered their 11th win to go along with six losses. Pictou swept the season series over the Lumberjacks having previously won a 5-4 decision in Pictou to outscore the Lumberjacks 8-6 in the two games played. The two clubs will not meet again unless it is in the Nova Scotia Junior Hockey League Championship Series in April.
Membertou Jr. Miners 5 Valley Maple Leafs 1
The Leafs playing their second game of a three-game road trip to Cape Breton were hoping to rebound somewhat from their 12-4 clubbing by the Strait Pirates Friday evening. It did not happen as the teams played to a scoreless draw in the first period before the Jr. Miners scored three unanswered goals in the second by Jarrett Hicks, Riley Crane and Alex MacKinnon with his first of two. Braden Aucoin tallied in the second for the Leafs and it turned out to be their only goal of the game despite two more by the Jr. Miners in the third, MacKinnon with his 2nd on the power-play and Tye Clarke. Membertou outshot the Leafs 43-25 and took the season series in two straight while outscoring the Valley 10-3. There are no players left but certainly some executive members remain from these two teams who were at the top of their respective divisions and clashed in back-back Provincial Championship showdowns in 2015-16 and 2016-2017 with each team winning a provincial championship in that duration of time.