Season comes to an end
Two Avon River Rats players suspended in final playoff game
The Avon River Rats were hoping for a better finish to their Nova Scotia Regional Junior Hockey League season but it did not happen.
The team was unable to bring its divisional semifinal with the Eastern Shore Thunder back to Windsor on March 4 for a sixth game in the playoff series.
The Thunder was a major thorn in the side of the River Rats all season. Eastern Shore defeated the River Rats in six of eight regular season games and then four of five games in the playoffs to win the best-of-seven series.
On March 3 in Eastern Shore, the River Rats were in a must-win situation. But, by the end of the second period, it was virtually no contest.
The Thunder scored in the opening minute of the first period to take a 1-0 lead.
The River Rats still had a chance in the second but the Thunder blew the barn door off, scoring four times to take a 5-0 lead after two periods.
Justin MacLellan finally got the River Rats on the scoreboard to start the third period, but the
Thunder stuck to the Rats like glue and didn’t allow the River Rats any other goals. Eastern Shore scored a pair of goals with 1:21 and 16 seconds remaining in the game.
Despite the 7-1 loss, the River Rats outshot the Thunder 43-41.
Things got tense in the middle stages of the game and two River Rats were thrown out for abuse of an official. Peter Doherty was given a two-game suspension, which he will serve at the start of the new season.
The team’s go-to-guy all sea- son, Logan Cleveland, who tallied 31 goals and 14 assists, was given a match penalty and a misconduct for harassment of officials. The league reported March 4 that Cleveland’s suspension was indefinite and any lengthy suspension he will serve will be at the beginning of the 2018-2019 season.
With the win, Eastern Shore advanced to the league final against the Spryfield Attack. The winner of that series will advance to the Maritime North junior C Hockey Championship Tournament in Prince Edward Island in late April.