High school hockey league now underway
High school hockey teams started their 2018-2019 season last weekend with more league games on tap for this weekend.
There are 11 teams playing in the boys’ side of the Valley High School Hockey League this team, including four from the tri-counties – Barrington, Clare, Par-en-Bas and Yarmouth. Digby high school was unable to ice a team this year due to a shortage of players.
This Friday the Yarmouth Vikings hold their first home game, hosting the Avon Avalanche at 7 p.m. In Barrington, the Barons will hold its second home game of the season on Nov 2, hosting the Middleton Monarchs at 7:30 p.m.
The Clare Loups host their first home game on Saturday, Nov 3, when they host the Central Kings Gators at 7:30 p.m.
The Par-en-Bas Sharks will host their home-game opener on Sunday, Nov. 4 at 4 p.m. at the Mariners Centre when they play the West Kings Wolverines. PEB was also supposed to play on Saturday in Middleton but that game has to be rescheduled as much of the team will be away playing NSSAF soccer provincials in Cape Breton.
Three of the region’s teams played league games this past weekend.
YARMOUTH 5 – MIDDLETON 4
The Yarmouth Vikings traveled to Middleton on Oct. 27. Yarmouth took a 4-1 lead in the opening period on the strength of three power-play goals. Middleton had the only goal of the second period with Yarmouth answering back at the start of the third.
Middleton answered back quickly and got to within one with 1:23 left to go in the game. With a sixth attacker in the final minute, the Monarchs pressed the rest of the way but to no avail as the Mariners held on for the 5-4 win.
Leading the way for Yarmouth were Isaac Moore and Spencer Surette both with a goal and 2 assists. JJ MacPhee had the first two goals of the game. Jared Minard had a goal and an assist, with single assists from Evan Saulnier, Jaden Watkins and Elijah Surette. Jeremy Charles had the win in net.
BARRINGTON 12 – CLARE 1
The Barrington Barons and the Clare Loups opened their VHSHL season with Barrington hosting Clare on Oct. 27.
After the first period the Barons team was up 3-0. In the second period the Barons came out firing, scoring six more goals. The Barons scored twice again before Clare got on the board with six minutes left to spoil the shutout for goalie Devon Nickerson.
Barrington scored once more at the buzzer for the 12-1 win. Final shots were 34-11 for the Barons. Leading the scoring for Barrington were Jude Greenwood (3G, 1A), Jagger Kane (3G, 1A), Justin Smith (2G, 2A), Tanner Bateman (1G, 3A), Nolan Atwood (2G), Tylan Foster (1G, 1A). Rounding out the scoring for the Barons with assists were Noah Smith (3), Jaedan Link (4), Kieran O’Connor (2), Cameron Nickerson (2) and single assists from Teagan Scott, Shane Wyatt and Cole Nickerson. It was a very clean game with only two penalties for Clare and four for the Barons.
Scoring for Clare was Sebastien LeBlanc assisted by Tayson Maillet. This was the first time the teams were on the ice since last year. The Clare team says it came away from the game identifying areas it needs to work on as its season gets underway so it can post more competitive scores.
PEB AT TOURNAMENT
The Par-en-Bas Sharks boys team played at the West Kings’ early bird tournament in Kingston this past weekend. The Sharks defeated Horton 5-4, tied Park View 2-2 and lost to NKEC 4-2. The NKEC Titans later went on to win the tournament.
GIRLS LEAGUE
On the girls’ side of the VHSHL, from this region Yarmouth and Barrington have teams in the league. This weekend the Barons travel to Canning to play NKEC on Nov. 3. Yarmouth’s first league game is Nov. 9 when they play West Kings in Kingston. The same night Barrington hosts Bridgetown.
Yarmouth’s first home league game is Nov. 10 at when they host NKEC at 7 p.m.