Back in Berwick
Junior A Wildcats to play first games of 2022 on home ice
The Valley Wildcats picked up a pair of wins and were blown out in their first three games of 2022.
The Wildcats defeated the South Shore Lumberjacks
6-2 on Feb. 16 and the Grand Falls Rapids 5-1 on Feb. 18 before dropping a 10-0 decision to the Summerside D. Alex MacDonald Ford Western Capitals on Feb. 20. A Feb. 19 game in Edmundston, N.B., was postponed due to the league’s COVID-19 protocols.
The Wildcats were scheduled to play the Mariners in Yarmouth on Feb. 23. Results were unavailable at press time.
They play their first home games since Dec. 12 this weekend, hosting the Miramichi Timberwolves on Friday, Feb. 25, and the Lumberjacks on Sunday, Feb. 27.
Here’s a recap of the recent games.
WILDCATS 6 LUMBERJACKS 2
Captain Luke Wilson had two goals and an assist as the Wildcats defeated the Lumberjacks in Bridgewater.
The visitors held 3-1 and 6-2 period leads in front of 224 people at the Lunenburg County Lifestyle Centre.
Ethan Landry added a goal and an assist in the victory while Ethan Kearney and newcomers Philippe Casault and Riley Spears rounded out the scoring. Josh Crooks had a pair of assists while Vincent Bujold, Aidan MacLeod and Nick Goodwin each chipped in one.
Adam MacDonald and Nathan Carter scored for the Lumberjacks with assists going to Sam Campbell, Sam Brunton and Kobe Burt.
Justin Bourque stopped 19 of 21 shots for the win while Antoine Lyonnais stopped all seven shots he faced in six minutes of action. Lyonnais sustained a lower body injury in the game and is listed as week to week.
Robert Forbes allowed six goals on 21 shots in the loss while Jeremy Robar played the third period, stopping all five shots he faced in relief.
Valley was 1-for-2 on the power play while South Shore went 1-for-7 with the man advantage.
WILDCATS 5 RAPIDS 1
Cam Henderson scored twice while Wilson had a goal and two assists as the Wildcats defeated the Rapids. Henderson, a 16-year-old New Minas native who recently returned from the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s AcadieBathurst Titan, was an assist shy of a Gordie Howe hat trick as the two teams combined for 160 penalty minutes.
Julian Vandervoet and Landry rounded out the scoring while Brendan MacRitchie and Spears each had two assists and Keigan Casey chipped in one.
Cole McKeigan replied for the home side.
Bourque made 33 saves for the victory while Morgan
Kini stopped 29 shots in the loss.
After a scoreless first period, the Wildcats took a 2-1 lead to the third.
Valley went 2-for-7 on the power play and killed all six of the home side’s chances with the man advantage.
CAPITALS 10 WILDCATS 0
The league-leading Caps built 3-0 and 6-0 period leads en route to a lopsided victory.
Felix-Anthony Ethier stopped 17 shots for the shutout while former Wildcats forward Aaron Brown had a hat trick and Colby MacArthur had a goal and three helpers.
Bourque stopped 46 shots in the loss.
Summerside (24-3-1-1) began the week nine points up on Yarmouth (19-8-3-0) for top spot in the 12-team league. Valley (14-12-2-1) was third in the Eastlink South Division, seven points back of Amherst (17-8-2-2) and five points ahead of Truro (12-112-0).
The Caps are ranked fourth in the Canadian Junior Hockey League’s top 20. They are the only Maritime team to make this list.