Yarmouth Mariners win first three exhibition games
Pre-season play part of Mariners’ training camp
The Yarmouth Mariners won three exhibition games last weekend and hit the road for two more this week as the team, and the league, moves closer to the season start.
The exhibition games have also been helping the Mariners to put together their roster for the season start as they serve as an extension of the team’s training camp.
“Things have gone well. Obviously, we’re a little bit younger this year, but I really like how we’re coming together,” head coach Laurie Barron said after the first of the exhibition games.
Last year eight 20-year-old players graduated from the team. Along with off-season trades and other factors there were only eight returning players at camp, Barron said.
Still, he doesn’t see this as a rebuilding year.
“I would say more retooling than rebuilding,” he said. “And in the off-season I thought we had a really good recruiting year.”
The team had their first exhibition game of the pre-season on Aug. 27 versus the South Shore Lumberjacks, in which the total Yarmouth roster was made up of rookies. Yarmouth won the game 7-6 in a come-from-behind win after falling behind 5-2 after the first two periods and then scoring five goals in the third.
“It was an exciting game. One of the players said it was the most fun he’s ever had in hockey,” Barron said. Local Yarmouth player Ryan Semple, a Mariners territorial pick heading into this season, was named first star of that game.
“He’s got off to a great start.
Just a real hard-working kid. He’s going to be a solid player for us,” Barron said.
Thursday, Aug. 29, another exhibition game was played in Bridgewater. Yarmouth won that camp 8-2. Alec MacVicar had the win in net for the Mariners, stopping 23 of 25 games. But it was his last game as a Mariner, however, with the team announcing on Aug. 30 it had traded MacVicar to the Summerside Western Capitals for an 8th round draft selection and future considerations.
“Alec was a big part of our MHL championship team. Best of luck Alec,” read a post on the team’s website.
Yarmouth next hosted the Valley Wildcats on Aug. 31, winning the game with a 5-0 shutout.
In net for the Mariners was Justin Sumarah, who, before his signing with the Mariners had been named top goaltender at the 2018 Don Johnson Cup – the Atlantic Jr. B championship. He played with the NSJHL champion Sackville Blazers last season and was selected MVP of the of the playoffs. He was also the NSJHL rookie of the year. Sumarah stopped all 36 shots on net during the Saturday exhibition game.
Across the rink in between the pipes was Tyler Caseley in net for the Wildcats. Caseley had been the Mariners starting goalie last season and the rookie of the year for the MHL. Caseley went to the Wildcats to complete a previous transaction that saw Landon Quinney come to the team last season.
This week’s pre-season action sees the Mariners travel to Valley on Sept. 7 and then back to Bridgewater on Sept. 8 for more exhibition play.
Barron had said last week that after the first of the exhibition games that he expected they’d trim the roster down to around 23 or 24 players after this past Saturday’s game. By the time the regular season rolls around he expected the roster to be at around 21 players.
Barron said he’s been impressed by those who have attended camp.
“They’ve all been in great shape and the work ethic has been there,” he said.
As for the regular season, for the Mariners it starts with a home opener against Truro on Sept. 13 and another home game Sept. 14 against Miramichi.