In an absolutely thrilling hockey game Friday evening in the Strait, the Nova Scotia Junior Hockey League resumed play for 2024 with the Membertou Jr. Miners squeaking by Port Hawkesbury 6-5 in overtime with Drew Baldwin scoring with 3:35 remaining in the five-minute sudden death OT period. At the beginning, it looked like the Jr. Miners might run the Strait Pirates right out of the Civic Centre as they jumped out to a 4-0 lead with only four minutes left in the opening period on a pair of goals from Landon Clark and single markers by Coby McCarron and Jarrett Hicks who finished with a five point night by also collecting four assists. The Jr. Miners then took a pair of minor penalties at the same time with 1:52 to play in the first. Brady Doucette was sent off for hooking and Baldwin for cross-checking and it was only 32 seconds later in which Landon MacIntosh put the Pirates on the scoreboard with the first of two power-play goals followed by Luke Baldwin’s for the Pirates only 38 seconds later and the Jr. Miners saw their lead cut in half heading to the dressing room after the first.
The Jr. Miners came roaring out of the gate in the second and went up 5-2 on Clark’s third goal of the game but Chase Ellis came back to pull the Strait back to within a pair 1:32 later. It stayed that way entering the third period until Matthew Ellis scored on the power-play mid-way through the third. Then with only 1:19 remaining in regulation, Sam Beaton scored for the Strait to tie the game at 5-5. It took Baldwin’s goal in OT for the game to be finally decided. Sonny Kabatay showed some of last season’s flashy scoring as he recorded four assists just like Hicks. The teams exchanged 26 shots apiece on net. The win for the Jr. Miners was their 13th of the season and pulled them one point ahead of the Strait into sole position of second place. The Jr. Miners return to action at home to Eskasoni Saturday night in Membertou at 7:30 p.m.
Colts 2 Brookfield 1
In another heart-breaking game, the Brookfield Elks took and early 1-0 lead after the opening period on a goal from Calem McAndrew but unfortunately, it was all the scoring the Elks could do as the Colts Colin Goodwin and Ryan Welsh added single markers in the second and third period to give Capstone a 2-1 verdict and their 16th win of the season in 21 games to pull back within two points of the 1st place East Hants Penguins. The Elks fell to 6-11-1 and will return home Saturday afternoon in a must-win situation against the South Shore Lumberjacks.
GrayJay Sports