One win away
Scotians on verge of capturing Nova Scotia Junior Hockey League championship
Just 60 minutes more: sounds like almost nothing, but it can mean everything.
The upstart Pictou County Junior Scotians, who two months ago nearly had their season end in the final game of the regular season, are a win away from a Nova Scotia Junior Hockey League championship, after Tuesday’s nerve-rattling 5-4 victory in Game 5 against the Liverpool Privateers.
“It was total heart, we only had 13 skaters due to injuries and exams, and had two players injured during the game,” coach Al Whidden said.
“The last couple of minutes were tough, a combination of bad bounces and running out of gas.”
Forward Riley Cameron had two assists to reach 22 points in the playoffs (8G, 14A) in his last shot at a junior title.
“I wouldn’t say I expected this two months ago, but at the same time I knew what our potential was,” said Cameron, who helped key the Scotians’ turnaround when he returned to junior hockey late in 2016.
“But, if you had me predicting we’d be going into game six up 3-2, I don’t know if I would have said that.”
The fifth game almost got away from them; Pictou County led 5-1 with under four minutes to go when Derek Nelson, who by that point had the only Privateers’ goal, potted three quick ones, the last coming with the Liverpool net empty and 34 seconds on the clock.
The Scotians would hold on, averting disaster and giving themselves a 3-2 series lead.
Pictou County received two goals from Robert Burrows and one each from Ryan MacDonald, Jacob Pentz and Cameron Allaby, while Austin Donlevy had two assists. Burrows has four goals in the final series.
Forward Blair Dewtie called their Game 5 victory “a pure character win. We went down with only 13 skaters and everyone stepped up when we needed it,” he said.
“We knew Liverpool doesn’t quit and we may have let up a bit, but everyone just buckled down and did what we had to do.”
Game 6 is Friday night at the Pictou County Wellness Centre, at 7 p.m.
“Friday’s game is definitely going to be exciting and everyone will be pretty fired up going into it,” Dewtie said.
“The thought of how close we are is in the backs of everyone’s minds, but we just continue to take it a game at a time.”
The winner of this series will represent Nova Scotia at the Don Johnson Memorial Cup, April 25-30 in Fredericton, N.B.