Eagles within win of beating Raiders for conference title

The Clarington Eagles made a two-goal first period stand as the game-winning assault as they edged the Napanee Raiders 2-1 in Game 4 of their Provincial Junior Hockey League East Conference final Wednesday night in Napanee.

The win left the Eagles with a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series and within one victory of taking the tightly played set that has seen three games decided by a single goal, including two in overtime.

Game 5 of the series is scheduled for Thursday at 7:25 p.m. in Bowmanville.

Playing in front of an announced crowd of 1,097 — the largest gathering in Napanee since the formation of the PJHL in 2016-17 — the Eagles struck early, with Adam Klaas netting his eighth goal of the post-season 91 seconds into the game.

Clarington upped the advantage to 2-0 on Kolby Poulin's power-play goal at 18:10.

The score remained that way until Andrew Carr, with his ninth goal of the playoffs, narrowed the gap to 2-1 on a power play.

Napanee was outshot 14-11 in the first period and 9-8 in the second but rebounded for a 15-8 shot advantage in the third as they tried to mount a comeback. Oliver Webster, with a 33-save outing, gained the goaltending win. Logan Vale, who made 29 saves, took the loss.

Napanee played without head coach Ben Hagerman behind the bench. He was suspended for two games for being hit with a bench penalty and game misconduct for having players leave the bench area early as they flowed onto the ice to celebrate the team's Game 3 overtime victory.

Also, Clarington's Mitch Davies served the first game of a to-be-determined suspension for intent to injure as he blindside cross-checked and knocked down Vale, who was on his way to meet his teammates in the same celebration.

Raiders defenceman Erik Macniel was also out of Game 4, serving the first of a five-game suspension he was slapped with after he received a head contact minor and misconduct for a hit along the end boards in the Napanee zone on Clarington's Kyle Smith.

Napanee was also without Spencer Cranley, who was serving the second of a five-game suspension he absorbed for the disrespectful and abusive behaviour gross misconduct he took in Game 2.