Let’s play two
Bearcats return to the RECC for a pair of MHL games
TRURO, N.S. – A doubleheader weekend on home ice will be a welcome change for the Truro Bearcats.
The Bearcats, who have played just two of their first 11 Maritime Junior Hockey League contests at home, return to the Rath Eastlink Community Centre for games on Friday against the Summerside Western Capitals and Saturday against the Pictou County Crushers. Both start at 7 p.m.
Truro has just two wins this season and entered this week in fifth place in the Eastlink South Division. The Bearcats snapped a five-game losing skid Oct. 11 with a 5-2 win over the South Shore Lumberjacks, before a 4-1 loss to the Yarmouth Mariners on Oct. 12.
The Capitals enter Friday’s contest with an 8-3 (W-L) record and this week cracked the CJHL national rankings, checking in at No. 20. The Crushers and Bearcats split two previous games played this season in Pictou County.
YARMOUTH 4, TRURO 1
The Bearcats fell behind 3-0 after the opening 20 minutes and never recovered, as they suffered their third straight loss to the Mariners this season.
Sam Gillis scored two firstperiod goals for winners, while Kaleb Boudreau added the other. After a scoreless second, Thomas Hillier made it 4-0 for the Mainers at 1:06. Matt Gordon of the Bearcats spoiled Justin Sumarah’s shutout bid near the six-minute mark of the third period on a power play.
Sebastien Plamondon started in nets for Truro, but was replaced by Alec Macdonald after the third Yarmouth goal at 15:30 of the first period.
TRURO 5, SOUTH SHORE 2
Truro’s top forward line of Ben Higgins, G. Blackmore and Spencer Blackwell stepped up to combine for seven points – including all five goals.
Higgins netted two goals and set up another, while Blackwell fired home his team-leading sixth and seventh snipes of the season, while Blackmore chipped in a goal and a helper.
“How that game went tonight is how it was drawn up in the coach’s mind before the season started,” said Bearcats coach Shawn Evans, who was pleased to see his top line break out offensively.
“Those guys put a lot of pressure on themselves to want to produce and do well, and tonight was their night.
“They’re not going to get five goals every game; I hope they do, but those are three good hockey players and when they’re on the same page they’re pretty tough to stop.”
Macdonald made 28 saves, while the Bearcats pumped 39 shots at Lumberjacks netminder Ty Grant.