Mariners hit the ice again Friday

Team sits in first place in their division

Leif Hertz in net for the Mariners during a previous home game. The Mariners’ first home game of 2018 is a Friday match-up against the Valley Wildcats. The Yarmouth Mariners dropped a pre-New Year’s game to the South Shore Lumberjacks but the squad still sits in first place in their division heading into their first home game of 2018.

The Mariners played South Shore on Dec. 29, as the MHL got back to an earlier start following the Christmas break. The Lumberjacks came out of that game on top with a 4-1 vic- tory.

The game started out tight with no scoring in the first period and one South Shore goal in the second. The Lumberjacks were up 3-0 before the Mariners’ scored their first goal late in the third period at 17: 47 to make it 3- 1. Aaron Maillet scored on the powerplay assisted by Matt Smith and Matt Barron.

The Mariners pulled their goalie for the extra attacker to try to even things up. Former Mariner Mateo Short, playing for South Shore this season, scored the Lumberjack’s fourth goal shorthanded and unassisted on the empty net at 18:30 in the third.

In net for the Mariners Leif Hertz faced 30 shots. The Mariners shot on Conor McCollum in the South Shore net 35 times.

Yarmouth hosts the Valley Wildcats on Friday, Jan. 5 at 7:30 p.m. for their first game of the new year.

The Mariners sit atop the Eastlink South Division with 43 points and a record of 21 wins, seven losses and one overtime loss. The Lumberjacks are two points behind at 41 points with 20 wins, eight losses and one shoot out loss.