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League News
Sackville wins 2 of 3 in Cabe Breton Trip
Whether the playoff races go down to the final weekend of the season as was the case in the 2022-23 NSJHL Regular Season or if teams will be able to pull away from one another prior to the Christmas Break beginning Dec 12 is a huge question being asked by all Nova Scotia Junior Hockey League Fans. Three more games Sunday which left teams fighting like old heck for playoff positioning. The following is a run down:
Sackville Blazers 5 Eskasoni Jr. Eagles 0
Will Meek, Lawson Taylor and Lawson Cook did all the Blazers scoring as Sackville completed a 2-1-0 road trip to Cape Breton. In Sunday’s win at the Dan K. Stevens Memorial Arena in Eskasoni, Meek scored two in the first and added his third goal in the second period givingjim 9 on the season to go along with 5 assists for 14 points. Logan Mitchell’s marker came in the second period and Cook’s goal in the third period as he notched his 6th of the season to go along with 9 assists for 15 points. The Blazers outshot Eskasoni 36-33 as Tristan Bourdages started for the Blazers for the second time this week and earned the shut-out. His only previous start came last Monday in the Blazers 5-3 loss at home to the Antigonish Jr. Bulldogs. Jaden Hardie continues to play effective hockey for the Blazers on all fronts earning 3 assists Sunday giving him 12 on the season to go along with 6 goals for 18 points. The Blazers are now 10-6-3 for 23 points and only three behind the East Hants Penguins and Capstone Colts who are tied for first in the Fred Fox Division with 26 points. Sackville is idle this evening but have a pair of home games remaining prior to the Christmas break, the first is a week from today, Monday Dec 4th against the fifth place Brookfield Elks and on Monday Dec 11 against the Valley Maple Leafs. In the Blazers continued pursuit of first place, these pair of games are huge concerning additional points prior to Christmas.
South Shore Lumberjacks 2 Capstone Colts 1
The kinda of game that never had you looking for a bathroom break or a visit to the canteen before the periods concluded as the Lumberjacks pulled off a huge 2-1 win over the now 12-3-2 Capstone Colts Sunday afternoon in Bridgewater. Joe Osborne’s goal with 3:16 left in regulation time gave the Lumberjacks their win. Daniel Kline scored the South Shore’s other goal giving him 8 on th season to go along with 11 assists for 19 points. Cole Stewart tallied the lone Colts goal who are now 12-3-2 for 26 points and tied with the East Hants Penguins. The South Shoe is now 9-6-1 for 19 points, 4 back of Sackville and 7 behind the Colts and Penguins. Th Lumberjacks have three games remaining prior to the Christmas break including two this weekend when they host Eskasoni in Bridgewater, then depart for Membertou Sunday Dec 3rd before completing their pre-Chistmas schedule with a second road game at Brookfield Saturday Dec 9 at 4:00 p.m. The Colts have three huge games as well, they are on the road in Port Hawkesbury Friday, Dec 1 and then travel to Windsor play the Maple Leafs Fri Dec 8 before returning home for a game with East Hants Saturday Dec 9.
Antigonish 4 Pictou County 2
Not sure what else you can say about the Antigonish Jr. Bulldogs. The defending Provincial and Atlantic Junior Champions secured two more wins over the weekend to go to 18-1-1. Their latest victory coming in Trenton Sunday evening 4-2 over the hometown Pictou County Scotians. The second place Scotians fell 9 points behind the Jr. Bulldogs in the Rowe Division. Owen Frizzle, Will Fitzsimmons, Venel Campbell and Zachary Lorette tallied for the winners while Nate Supryka and Matt Carson tallied for the losers who were outshot 31-20.