Weekend split for Under-18 Wildcats

Hartnell snipes in Valley’s victory over Rush

William Hartnell scored twice, including the winner, to lead the Kohltech Valley Wildcats to a 3-2 victory Feb. 12 over the Sydney Mitsubishi Rush to wrap up the Nova Scotia Under-18 Major Hockey League regular season.

The win gave the Wildcats a weekend split after dropping a 4-2 decision to the Rush on Feb. 11.

Both games were played at the Kings Mutual Century Centre in Berwick.

WILDCATS 3 RUSH 2

Aidan Bent also scored in Valley’s win with assists going to Jacob Gerhardt (2), Connor Wilkin, Isaac Morse, William Hartnell and Luke Foley.

Tyson LeFrense and Garrett MacIntosh replied with Sydney’s goals. Luke Sinclair, Hudson Clarke, Keegan O’Neill and MacIntosh had the assists.

Samuel Sinclair made 45 saves for the win while William Stonehouse stopped 39 shots in the loss.

Valley, which held 2-1 and 3-1 period leads, went 0-for-2 on the power play but killed all three of the Rush’s opportunities with the man advantage.

Each team had a four-minute power play in the third period.

The Wildcats improved to 20-13-2 while the Rush are 8-26-1.

RUSH 4 WILDCATS 2

MacIntosh scored the winner with about five minutes to play and Luke Sinclair added the insurance marker 27

seconds later as the visitors earned a 4-2 win.

Darien Reynolds on the power play and MacIntosh had Sydney’s earlier goals. Clarke, Luke Sinclair, LeFrense and O’Neill had the assists.

James Richards and Gerhardt scored for the home side. Landon Ryan, Jake Kuryluk and Foley each had an assist.

Johnathan Coombs made 38 saves for the win while Chase Crowell took the loss.

The game was tied 1-1 after the first period and 2-2 heading to the third.

The Rush went 1-for-2 on the power play and killed the Wildcats one opportunity with the man advantage.

PLAYOFFS

Valley will play the Halifax McDonald’s in the first round of the playoffs.

Halifax (19-13-2) can earn home-ice advantage with a win Feb. 15 against South Shore.

The playoffs will have to wait until after the Canada Games in Prince Edward Island are complete.

The tournament runs from Feb. 19-25.

PHOTOS BY JASON MALLOY Kohltech Valley Wildcats forward Aidan Bent prepares to flip a backhand shot into the net during Nova Scotia Under-18 Major Hockey League action with the Sydney Mitsubishi Rush Feb. 12 in Berwick. Bent led the team in regular season goals (20) and points (37) while playing all 35 games.

Kohltech Valley Wildcats forward Will McKinnon prepares to fire a short on the Sydney Mitsubishi Rush net as defenceman Cole Murphy dives in an attempt to block the shot Feb. 12 in Berwick.