Fans felt sidelined by officiating
Mariners split pair of home games
The Yarmouth Mariners split a pair of home games over the weekend.
While fans walked away from Friday’s game pleased, the feeling wasn’t mutual on Saturday as many felt the officiating in the game had been too onesided.
During the first period of the Nov. 23, 5-2 Fredericton Red Wings victory, there was one penalty handed out, a twominute high-sticking call on the Mariners.
In the second period there were 10 penalties called – all on the Mariners with Fredericton never being sent to the box in two periods. The home team felt there were plays by the visitors that should have drawn penalties. When head coach Laurie Barron visibly expressed his displeasure during the game, he was given a two-minute unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and ejected from the game for a 10-minute game misconduct.
Barron received a one-game suspension for abuse of an official. Mariner defenceman Brady Crossley also received the same one-game suspension for a penalty call that came at the end of the second period.
The third period saw one penalty handed out to Fredericton for boarding.
On social media after the game fans vented about the officiating, feeling it was blatantly one-sided. Scoring in the Saturday game for the Mariners had been Thomas Hillier and Matt Barron. Shots on goal had been relatively even at 26-22 for Fredericton.
The previous evening the Mariners had a 5-2 win over the Amherst Ramblers. Scoring for the Mariners were David Vaysberg and Daniel Surette, who each had a pair of goals, and Jonathan Rees. In net Justin Sumarah stopped 31 of 33 shots on net. The Mariners shot on the Amherst net 38 times.
The Mariners sit in second place in the Eastlink South
Division with 29 points behind the South Shore Lumberjack’s 32 points. The Mariners host
South Shore Friday evening and will host the Valley Wildcats on Saturday.