GrayJay Sports
League News
Colts fall four pmts behind Penguins in race for first
The Capstone Colts occupied first place for the opening portion of the 2023-24 regular season as they started 12-2-1 compared to the East Hants Penguins who began 12-4-0. They lost first place going into the Christmas Break before moving into a tie with the Penguins once the Christmas break concluded. However, the Colts after being defeated 6-3 at home last evening by the Sackville Blazers have now fallen once again into second place 4 points behind the East Hants Penguins with a 17-5-1 record for 35 points, four back of the first place Pens.
Friday night in Shearwater, the Blazers struck early as Degen Noble scored his first of three goals on the evening for Sackville before Cooper Puma struck for the first of his two goals 1:07 later in the first to see the score tied at 1 after twenty minutes. In the second period, Puma gave the Colts a 2-1 lead with his second goal of the game on the power-play before Noble tied it again at 2-2. Lawson Cook put the Blazers up 3-2 before Colin Goodwin tied the game at 3-3 after forty minutes for the Colts.
The Colts came out seemingly unprepared for the third period as the Blazers scored three unanswered goals as Noble scored his third, with single markers going to Logan Mitchell and Ryan MacIntyre to make the final 6-3. For the Blazers, it was their 11th win in 22 games against 8 losses and 3 overtime/shoot-out losses and gives them a comfortable position for fourth place in the Fred Fox Division. Mitchell besides his goal added a pair of assists for the Blazers and Justin Hardie set up 4 of the six Blazer goals. Elsewhere Friday night:
East Hants 6 Brookfield 4
While the Colts were losing, East Hants won their 19th game n 24 starts, 6-4 over the Brookfield Elks. The win was far from easy for the Pens who trailed 2-1 after twenty minutes and led 3-2 after two periods. The Pens went in front 5-2 before the Elks came back within a goal, scoring twice in a span of 1:41 with under five minutes to play forcing the Elks to pull their goaltender only to see Logan Durno score his third of the evening into an empty net with 35 seconds remaining to seal the 6-4 win. Durno also scored the opening goal of the game and added the game-winner with 8:52 left in regulation. Durno took over sole position of first place in the scoring race with 33 points on 11 goals and 22 assists. Other Pen goal scorers were Devin Meagher with his 21st of the season, Morgan Lake and Noah Comeau. Replying fo the Elks were Ethan Yakamchick, Sam Rogers, McClellan Cale and Keegan Macumber. East Hants outshot Brookfield 38-30.
Antigonish Jr. Bulldogs 3 Membertou Jr. Miners 2
It went down to the bitter end in Antigonish Friday evening before Luc Sampson snapped a 2-2 deadlock with 1:20 remaining in regulation to give the Jr. Bulldogs a 3-2 win over the Jr. Miners and provide Antigonish with their 23rd win in 26 games this season. The Jr. Miners who have been playing exceptional hockey of late suffered the one-goal set back but still lead the Port Hawkesbury Strait Pirates by a single point in the chase for second place in the Sid Rowe Division. Will Fitzsimmons tallied his 13th goal of the season and Will Normandeau added the other Bulldog goals while Trey Sturge and Alec Campbell tallied for the Jr. Miners who led 1-0 after one, with the teams tied at 1-1 after forty minutes.