Summerside edges out Yarmouth as top teams meet on ice

The MHL’s top two division teams faced each other in Yarmouth this past weekend.

It was a close game throughout but at the final buzzer the win went to the Summerside Western Capitals, who with less than a minute to go in the game scored on the Yarmouth Mariners’ empty net for the 5-3 win.

Although the outcome was disappointing for Mariners fans, it was still an exciting matchup between the league’s top teams.

The Mariners opened up the scoring towards the end of the first period on a powerplay goal by Ian MacDonald (Jake Jurgeneit, Matt Barron). Summerside tied up the action at 4:08 in the second period with a goal by Riley MacDougall (Ryan Richards, Brodie MacArthur) and then took the 2-1 lead at 9:52 in the second, off the stick of Zach Biggar (Brodie MacArthur, Nick Reeves). Yarmouth came back two minutes later to tie the game 2-2 on a goal scored by Kurtis Lang (David Vaysberg, Matt Barron), which is how the second period ended.

In the third period Summerside went up 3-2 on a goal by Marc-Andre LeCouffe (Cam Roberts, Brodie MacMillian) but Yarmouth again was able to tie it 3-3 with Kurtis Lang scoring his second goal of the night and Matt Barron adding his third helper of the game.

It was a short-lived tie after a quick puck deflected by Western Capitals player Brodie MacArthur (Kallum Muirhead) met its mark in the Yarmouth net just 17 seconds. The last Summerside goal in the 5-3 win was scored on the Mariners’ empty net with under a minute to play when Marc Richard tapped it into the net.

It was a low penalty-filled affair with Summerside spending four minutes in the box in the first period and another four in second. Yarmouth accumulated six penalty minutes in the second.

Neither team had penalties called in the third. Shots on goal were 35-27 in Summerside’s favour.

The previous evening Yarmouth had a 3-2 win over second-place Eastlink South division rival Pictou County Crushers. After no scoring by either team in the first period and the Mariners scoring two goals in the second – scored by Matt Barron and Daniel Surette – and adding another early in the third by Michael Johnson, Pictou scored twice with just under 7 minutes remaining, however Yarmouth held on for the win. Shots on goal in the game were even at 28 for each team.

Justin Sumarah was in net for Yarmouth in both games.

Yarmouth came out of the weekend with 47 points atop the Eastlink South Division, ahead of Pictou who have 38 points and Amherst and Truro who each have 37 points.

Summerside sits atop the Eastlink North Division, and the league overall, with 59 points.

Yarmouth doesn’t play at home again until Feb. 8 when the Mariners host South Shore. This weekend the Mariners are on the road with games against Amherst and Valley.

TINA COMEAU PHOTOS Yarmouth's Michael Johnson and Summerside's Zach Biggar watch as the puck hits the boards during first-period action in Yarmouth on Jan. 11.

Yarmouth Mariner Sam Gillis looks for the passing opportunity while members of the Summerside Western Capitals do their best to prevent him from getting the puck in front of the net during a Jan. 11 game in Yarmouth between the two top division rivals.

Summerside's Brodie MacMillan and Yarmouth's Ben Charles jockey for the puck near the boards on this play during a Jan. 11 division rival between the Western Capitals and the Mariners. Summerside won the game 5-3, with the last goal being scored on the empty net, during the game which was a tight match-up from start to finish.

Mariners players David Vaysberg and Ian MacDonald react to a Yarmouth goal being scored during a Jan. 11 game against Summerside.