GrayJay Sports
League News
Blazers storm back in Bridgewater
The Valley Maple Leafs got exactly what they did not want in Bridgewater Saturday evening while the Membertou Jr. Miners are within a point of a playoff berth in the Sid Rowe Division. The following is a recap of action Saturday night in the NSJHL.
Sackville 5 South Shore 4 (Shoot-Out)
The South Shore Lumberjacks demonstrated their struggling season Saturday night at home against the Sackville Blazers. The Lumberjacks took a 3-1 lead after two periods over the Sackville Blazers but then allowed the Blazers three goals in the opening 5:44 of the third period to allow the Blazers to go in front 4-4. Brandon Rideout did tie it for the Lumberjacks with 5:08 remaining in regulation to send the game into overtime. The teams could not score in the overtime but Xavier Rivard after five misses by players for both teams scored the winner in a shoot-out to give the Blazers a 5-4 win.
The excruciating frustration for the Valley Maple Leafs is that the Lumberjacks still gained a point in the shoot-out loss and inched that much closer to clinching the final playoff berth in the Fred Fox Division. The Lumberjacks are now 12-12-2 for 26 points while the Leafs are 9-15-1 for 19 points. Sackville meanwhile improved to 13-11-2 for 28 points.
The game Saturday night saw the Lumberjacks take a 2-1 lead after one period on goals from Brennan Coleman and Owen Osborne with Will Meek replying for the Blazers. Daniel Kline put the Lumberjacks up 3-1 after forty minutes with the only goal of the second period.
The Blazers went to town in the third period with Adam Maillet scoring twice and Aidan Tucker once in those opening 5.44 before Rideout sent it to overtime for the South Shore. The Lumberjacks outshot the Blazers 38-37.
Membertou Jr. Miners 3 Port Hawkesbury 2
The Jr. Miners assisted their playoff chances immensely with their 3-2 win over the Strait. The Jr. Miners are now 10-15-2 for 22 points while the Strait fell to 8-15-3 for 19 points. It will be a duel to the bitter end for the final playoff spot in the Sid Rowe Division as the Eskasoni Jr. Eagles are 6-18-2 for 14 points. A lot can happen in the final two weeks of the regular season.
In Saturday’s game, Kier Jordan gave the Strait a 1-0 lead in the second before Hudson Clarke tied it for the Jr. Miners to leave the clubs tied at 1-1 after forty minutes. Cadyn Power then gave the Strait a 2-1 lead in the third before Tyler Seymour and Trey Sturge with the game winner provided the Jr. Miners with their 3-2 win. The teams were tied 30-30 in shots and while only four penalty minutes were called in the opening forty minutes, the teams got somewhat hostile at each other in the third period with 78 penalty minutes being assessed.
Capstone Colts 5 Brookfield 1
The Colts won their 20th of the season in 27 games as they dismantled the Elks 5-1 after allowing the Elks the opening goal of the game by Cale McClellan. The Colts then took over as Braden Cheney and Liam Andrews gave the Colts a 2-1 lead after the first period. Andrews then scored his 18th of the season short-handed with 1:46 to play in the second, this goal coming after Xavier Coggins put the Colts up 3-1.
Finn Merritt with his 21st goal of the season scored the final goal of the game to give the Colts their 5-1 win. The Elks who at last tally at Christmas were the most penalized team in the league, were hurt by penalties as they began the third period playing two men short after a slashing penalty late in the second and a delay of game to begin the third. The Elks did play with a two-man advantage in the second after Connor Stewart of the Colts took a pair of minor penalties. It was only 42 seconds after the Colts had killed their double minor and the Elks Mitch King took a slashing penalty.