Looking to clinch
The Truro Bearcats entertain the Yarmouth Mariners tonight at the RECC with a 3-1 lead in their best-ofseven MHL divisional semifinal series and they’d like nothing better
trUro
The Truro Bearcats will look for a strong start tonight in their attempt to close out a Maritime Junior Hockey League Eastlink South Division semifinal series.
The Bearcats host the Yarmouth Mariners in Game 5 at the Rath Eastlink Community Centre (7 p.m.).
Truro leads the best-of-seven series 3-1. The Bearcats lone loss was a 6-5 home-ice setback in Game 3 where the visitors struck for three goals in the opening three minutes of the contest.
Avoiding that scenario tonight, will be key, said coach Shawn Evans.
“Our main goal is to not let that occur again,” he said. “We all see where the series stands, but the immediate goal is to be ready to play. I don’t feel like we were quite there in Game 3 at home, and they made us pay for it quickly and we want to avoid that. And that will obviously up our chances to be successful.”
As expected, the series has been close, as three of the four games played have been decided by a single goal.
“We’ve played so many times since the new year that both teams know each other’s personality very well … maybe a few different wrinkles…” said Evans.
“We want to get our four lines rollin’ on Saturday and we want to play north-south hockey; we want to go straight ahead. When we’ve got the puck going north and we’re skating, that’s when we’re at our best – that’s what we need to do.”
The Bearcats will also try to get their power play going. Since
scoring two goals with the manpower advantage in Game 1, the Bearcats have gone a combined 0-for-12 on the power play in the last three games.
“Yarmouth’s done good a
job on it, and it would be nice if we can get that clicking; that certainly makes any team’s life easier,” said Evans.
Pictou County Crushers and Amherst Ramblers resumed
their Eastlink South Division semifinal on Friday. That series was tied 2-2 heading into Game 5 at the Pictou County Wellness Centre (result not available at press time).