GrayJay Sports
League News
Marshall scores in double OT
Before nearly 1500 fans Wednesday evening in Bridgewater, it took double overtime before the Antigonish Jr. Bulldogs were able to clinch their third consecutive Nova Scotia Junior Hockey League Championship as they squeaked by the South Shore Lumberjacks 4-3. With 11:05 to play in the second overtime, Nick Marshall of the Bulldogs came around the Lumberjacks net and manage to poke it in the short left hand side of goalie Keegan Greencorn to give the Bulldogs the 23-24 championship and the right to advance to the Don Johnson Memorial Cup Atlantic Junior Championship in Mount Pearl, Newfoundland beginning Tuesday, April 23rd.
Wednesday’s game kept fans literally on their edge of their seats the entire game despite the fact the Bulldogs jumped out in front 2-0 before the Lumberjacks rallied to tie the game at 2-2, then fall behind 3-2 before rallying again in the third period to knot the score once again at 3-3. The game’s opening goal was scored was scored by playoff MVP Venel Campbell 30 seconds into an Antigonish power-play as he tipped a shot in front of the net on a somewhat moderately soft shot from the blue-line. It was Campbell’s 7th of the playoffs and gave him 16 points in total.
Prior the opening goal, Greencorn made two brilliant saves on Ethan Twolan and another on Daniel Chaisson as well as two more incredible saves alone in front of the Lumberjacks net as he was sprawled down on his pads but still kept the puck from going in.
After Campbell’s tip-in goal, Marshall had his first scoring chance of the game as he went in 2 on 1 with Cameron Bell but to no avail.
After the strong start by the Bulldogs who scored first in all six games of the Championship series, the Lumberjacks began to apply pressure and on their opening power-play outshot the Bulldogs 7-0 but Adam Tkacz stood strong as the South Shore simply could not find the back of the net. The South Shore outshot the Bulldogs 15-11 in the first period.
South Shore began the second period with 1:55 left on a power-play which came about after Ray McKinnon was sent off for cross-checking with five seconds to play in the first. The Lumberjacks were not as dominant on this power-play outshooting the Bulldogs 3-0 but shortly after the power-play elapsed for the Lumberjacks, Ethan Twolan let a shot go directly to the left of Greencorn and it found the back of the net for a 2-0 Antigonish lead.
The Lumberjacks anxiously wanting to go to Antigonish for a seventh and deciding game Friday night, then tied the game 2-2 with a pair of goals 1:58 apart. The first was from John Shubaly who deflected a pass from Alec Howie and then Howie snuck between two Bulldog defenders and went in alone. The Bulldogs then went in front again 3-2, 2:13 after Howie’s tying goal as Zachary Lorette who out skated a Lumberjack defender at the South Shore blue-line and he whipped a shot home. It was Lorette’s 10th goal of the playoffs. The Lumberjacks outshot the Bulldogs again, this time 15-14 for a 30-25 advantage after forty minutes.
As one elderly gentleman said to this writer in attendance, “I have had three heart attacks, I don’t need a fourth one tonight”, saying this after the Bulldogs Zachary Lorette was set up beautifully and went in all alone on Greencorn only to be stopped cold. MVP Campbell also had an excellent scoring chance after the Bulldogs controlled the opening 4 1/2 minutes of the third period.
Daniel LeBlanc then took advanatage of a sloppy giveaway by Antigonish to tie the game again, this time at 3-3 with 9:51 to play in regulation. The Bulldogs came right back and they were buzzing in and around, all over the Lumberjacks for 1:10 shortly after the goal but Greencorn refused to be beat.
Alec Howie then split the Antigonish defence looking for the go ahead goal but he was stopped close in by Adam Tkacz in the Bulldog nets. Howie finished his Junior Career leading the League in playoff scoring with 11 goals and 15 assists for 26 points to go along with the 42 he registered in the regular season. The South Shore outshot the Bulldogs again in the third period, this time 10-8 for a 40-33 advantage after regulation.
The opening ten minute sudden-death overtime saw the Bulldogs not allow the Lumberjacks a single shot on net while firing eight on Greencorn to go ahead 41-40 after the first overtime. Campbell missed another excellent scoring chance for the Bulldogs as he went in alone in the opening 15 seconds of the first overtime. Daniel Chaisson was oh so close but Greencorn was solid and the score remained 3-3 going to the second overtime.
1:34 into double overtime, the Bulldogs were all over the Lumberjacks net but they simply could not squeeze it past Greencorn as he was sprawled in front of his net. John Shubaly and Cohen Westlake were both stopped stone cold by Tkacz before Marshall’s game and series winning goal, his 5th of the playoffs. League President Gerard MacDonald presentd the Veteran's Cup to the Antigonish Team and Sid Rowe Vice-President Cecil Greencorn presented the 23-24 NSJHL Championship banner to the winners. The Bulldogs will now fly to Newfoundland next week and play their opening game in the 24 Atlantic Junior Championship Thursday April 25 at 11:30 a.m. Nova Scotia time against New Brunswick Champions, the Kent Coyotes.