Backs against the wall
Wildcats looking to win two games in Port Hood to extend season
The math is simple for the Kohltech Valley Wildcats.
They need to win their next game to extend their season.
The Cape Breton West Islanders won the first two games of their best-of-five Nova Scotia Under-18 Major Hockey League quarter-final March 12 and 13 at the Kings Mutual Century Centre in Berwick.
The Wildcats will now look to return the favour by winning twice on the road March 18 and 19 in Port Hood to force a deciding Game 5 in Berwick.
Here is a recap of the first two games.
GAME 1 Islanders 3 Wildcats 2
The Islanders tallied three times in 4:27 of the second period in a 3-2 win in the opener on March 12.
Valley captain Dylan Manning gave the home side the lead with a shorthanded goal on a breakaway with two seconds remaining in the first period.
Jack MacDonald tied it 4:40 into the second period and Cadyn Power gave the visitors the lead at 6:12. Logan McGrath made it 3-1 at 9:07.
Jacob Gerhardt cut the deficit to one with a powerplay goal with 6:33 remaining in the third.
Jack Milner made 16 saves for the win while Samuel Sinclair stopped 26 shots in the loss.
Rory Wood, Leyton Stewart
and Leo MacLean each had an assist for the visitors. Manning and Kayden Kuryluk each chipped in a helper for the home side.
GAME 2 Islanders 1 Wildcats 1
The Islanders completed the weekend sweep by defeating the host Wildcats 2-1 on March 13.
Manning spotted the home
side a 1-0 lead in the first period for the second day in a row, but the Wildcats couldn’t hold it.
Riley Sampson tied it 2:32 into the third period and Power scored the winner about four minutes later.
Aidan Bent and Luke Orr had assists on Manning’s power-play goal while the Islanders’ goals were both unassisted.
Milner made 26 saves for the win while Sinclair stopped 29 shots in the loss.