■ Cheering on the hosts
Smith scores winner as Junior Miners open Don Johnson Memorial Cup with win
Longtime Kameron Junior Miners fans Samantha Byrne of Port Morien, left, and Terri Peach of Dominion celebrate after their team’s opening goal against the East Hants Penguins on Tuesday at the Membertou Sport and Wellness Centre. The Junior Miners opened the Don Johnson Memorial Cup Atlantic junior ‘B’ championship with a 5-4 overtime victory in front of about 1,000 fans.
The Kameron Junior Miners played with fire but pulled one out of the flames on Tuesday.
The host team at the 2018 Don Johnson Memorial Cup battled penalty trouble all game but survived and fought back to post a 5-4 overtime victory over the East Hants Penguins to open the Atlantic junior ‘B’ championship in front of about 1,000 fans at the Membertou Sport and Wellness Centre.
Nolan Smith ended it for the hosts when he crossed the blue-line and ripped a shot over the shoulder of Penguins’ netminder Ryan Huestis only 26 seconds into the extra frame. The game was a rematch of the Nova Scotia Junior Hockey League championship series that the Junior Miners swept in four games.
“It’s indescribable, all the fans going crazy and the adrenaline pumping, it’s one of the best feelings out there,” Smith said after the emotional victory. “We deserved to win, too. Killing penalties all game, it was a battle. It definitely felt great to net the final goal.
“Right above his shoulder, I saw top corner and I’m practicing that shot every practice,” he said of the deciding goal. “I don’t usually miss them. Luckily, it hit the bar and went right in.”
Chad O’Neill opened the scoring midway through the first period to give the Junior Miners the early advantage. But the penalty trouble for the host squad began, and the Penguins finished with 11 power plays in the game to the Junior Miners’ one.
The Penguins struck with three goals in the middle stanza to pull into the driver’s seat. Kyle Randall, Jesse Hamer and Mark Vokey with their lone power-play marker of the game found the back of the net.
But the hosts responded in a big way in the third. Jacob Kegan rifled one home shorthanded early in the period to get the ball rolling. After the Junior Miners killed off a 5-on-3, Kelly Yates scored, jamming home a loose puck in the crease. That was followed by a Dylan Morley tally a mere 17 seconds later to regain the lead.
Quinn MacDonald of the Penguins sent the game to overtime with 4:07 to go in regulation, as he jumped on an unattended puck in the crease.
After a couple of quality chances at either end and big saves by each goaltender early into overtime, it was Smith who made one count for the win.
“We struggled the first two periods and we did get into penalty trouble but our play, we struggled as well,” said Junior Miners head coach Ryan MacDougall. “We weren’t moving our feet, we didn’t play like we did all playoffs or all season.
“Coming into the third, we had a little rally in the room, everyone stepped up, we played our game and that’s what happens.”
Levi Denny’s steady play helped the Junior Miners to victory and he was key on the penalty kill. He stopped 40 shots in the victory. Huestis made 30 saves in the loss.
The Junior Miners continue play tonight at 7:30 p.m. when they face the Moncton Vito’s of New Brunswick.
*For a complete schedule, see page B4.