‘Incredible’ show by Wildcats
Under-18 Wildcats season ends in five-game series with Cape Breton West
Mike Lyle is proud of his Kohltech Valley Wildcats.
The Wildcats dropped the opening two games of their best-of-five Nova Scotia Under-18 Major Hockey League quarter-final with the Cape Breton West Islanders on home ice.
With their backs against the wall, they won twice at the Al MacInnis Sports Centre in Port Hood on March 18 and 19 before losing Game 5 1-0 March 20 at the Kings Mutual Century Centre in Berwick.
All five games were won by the visiting team and decided by one goal.
“To do what they did, it was incredible. The hockey was fantastic, and it could have went either way,” Lyle said March 20. “We’re just really proud of our guys for sticking with it.”
The coaching staff, which includes associate coach Lukas Kane, has preached the importance of having a short memory all season and it proved valuable in the post-season.
“We got behind the 8-ball early in the series, but we just kind of stuck with it and found a way,” Lyle said. “We just wanted to keep on playing one more day, one more day, but unfortunately, the series didn’t end up how we wanted it to.”
Lyle said he was proud of his players, given what they have gone through the past couple of seasons with the COVID-19 pandemic. Five players (captain Dylan Manning, Kayden Kuryluk, Nicholas Vidito, Ryan MacIntyre and Ben McCarthy) played their final under-18 game on March 20 as they have aged out of the group. The team could also lose some players to junior hockey next season.
Here’s a recap of the last three games
GAME 3 Wildcats 3 Islanders 2
The Wildcats knew the pressure was on the Islanders to close out the series but were also cognizant that it wouldn’t be easy to extend it.
“We knew going into Game 3, it was going to be extremely tough, especially in the Port Hood arena,” Lyle said. “It’s a hostile environment. It’s a small rink with a big crowd and tons of energy.”
But he said the team came to the rink with a good mindset and worked hard to secure the victory.
Nolan Fowler scored 61 seconds into the game to give the visitors the lead. Landon MacIntosh tied it with three minutes to play in the first period.
MacIntyre put the visitors ahead 5:46 into the second period, but Jacob Cook tied it on the power play with five minutes remaining in the middle stanza.
Drew Lutz scored the winner
with 3:13 left.
Kuryluk, Luke Orr, Connor Wilkin and Jacob Gerhardt had assists for the Wildcats.
Chase Crowell made 31 saves for the win, while Jack Milner stopped 25 shots in the loss.
GAME 4 Wildcats 4 Islanders 3
Gerhardt and McCarthy each scored two minutes into the second period to give the visitors the lead in Game 4. Tully Grant scored at 6:52 to cut the deficit in half for
the home side.
Lutz tallied 1:39 into the third to make it 3-1, but the Islanders wouldn’t go quietly, as MacIntosh scored with 2:48 left and with 40 seconds remaining to force overtime.
Owen MacDermid scored the winner 15:48 into the extra frame.
Fowler, William Hartnell, Kuryluk and MacIntyre chipped in helpers for the visitors.
Crowell had 18 saves in the victory, while Milner stopped 17 shots in the loss.
GAME 5 Islanders 1 Wildcats 0
MacIntosh scored the seriesclinching goal 14 minutes into the first period. Cohen Pictou had the lone assist as the Islanders won Game 5 1-0 and clinched a 3-2 series victory.
Milner had a 27-save shutout while Samuel Sinclair stopped 31 shots in the loss.