Crushers win fifth straight, Lumberjacks loom

WESTVILLE ROAD, N.S. — The Junior A Crushers are climbing the standings.

The Maritime Hockey League club won its fifth straight game on Nov. 16, rallying from a 2-0 deficit in the third period to beat the Valley Wildcats 3-2 in overtime.

The night before, a 7-4 win over the Amherst Ramblers vaulted Pictou County into third place in the South Division.

In Berwick, first-period tallies from Ethan Kearney and Zack Falck had the Wildcats up two goals heading into the third, but the Crushers went to work early; Jaden Mason scored on the power play early in the frame and Logan Vande Meerakker wired one in off the goalpost with 3:05 left in regulation to send the game into overtime, where Farrell would score the game-winner off a rebound.

It was his ninth goal in 10 games as a Crusher (he also has nine assists, mostly playing on a line with Kevin Mason and Sullivan

Sparkes).

“The team is starting to work together as a group. I think we’ll be a contender for the rest of the season,” said Farrell, a P.E.I. native, who, after playing Tier II junior hockey out west, wanted to play closer to home.

Calling Sparkes “the glue to the line”, Farrell added that Mason has a “professional shot and if you find him in any area, he has the ability to put the puck in the net.”

The Crushers (11-7) have two games at the Pictou County Wellness Centre in the days ahead; they play the South Division-leading South Shore Lumberjacks on Nov. 21, and the Ramblers are in town two nights later.

Farrell called South Shore a good team, but “anytime you play a team like that, you’ve just got to focus on what you’re doing – work hard and beat the other team at the little things.”

CRUSHERS 7, RAMBLERS 4

At Amherst stadium (Nov. 15), Dallas Farrell scored three goals and set up another as the Crushers beat the Ramblers 7-4. Kevin Mason notched a pair of goals, Keenan Gillis and Maxime Grandmaison each found the back of the net and Sullivan Sparkes had four assists.

Andrew MacLeod picked up his fourth consecutive win in the Crushers’ net.

CRUSHERS 4, MARINERS 3

At the Pictou County Wellness Centre on Nov. 14, Andrew Burden scored two goals and assisted on a Sam LeBlanc goal as Pictou County built a 4-1 lead before hanging on in the third period to edge the Yarmouth Mariners. Dallas Farrell also tallied for Pictou County.

Matt Barron had a pair of goals for Yarmouth.