Busy weekend ahead for Bearcats
TRURO, N.S. – Just as they did last week, the Truro Bearcats look to earn valuable points this weekend as the playoff race heats up in the Maritime Junior Hockey League’s Eastlink South Division.
The Bearcats play three games in three nights, beginning with a Friday home tilt against the Grand Falls Rapids, followed by a Saturday contest, also at the RECC, against the Amherst Ramblers. On Sunday, Truro travels to P.E.I. to face the MHL’S top team, the Summerisde Western Capitals. Summerside is ranked third among all junior A teams in Canada. All three games begin at 7 p.m.
Truro enters action after picking up a trio of big wins over the Amherst, Edmundston Blizzard and Pictou County Crushers to move into the fourth and final playoff spot in the South. The Bearcats are three points ahead of the fifth-place Crushers and trail third-place South Shore by just one point and second-place Amherst by two.
Following are snapshots of Truro’s most recent games:
Truro 3, Pictou County 2
The Bearcats trailed 2-1 after one period, but got secondperiod goals from James Walker and Luke Macmillan to earn the W. Ben Higgins also scored for the home side, while Kevin Mason and Jaden Mason replied for the Crushers. Bearcats goalie Alec Macdonald made 32 saves and was the game’s first star.
Truro 3, Edmundston 0
The teams played scoreless hockey through two periods before Caleb Hart broke the goose egg with a power-play goal at 7:37 of the third. Higgins scored on a penalty shot just over two minutes later, and Macmillan sealed it with an empty netter at 17:21. Macdonald turned aside 28 shots for the shutout.
Truro 6, Amherst 3
Jason Imbeault lit it up with two goals and two assists as the Bearcats picked up a crucial win over the Ramblers. Higgins added a pair of goals, including one on a power play and one into an empty net, while Dell Welton and Jaden Hewes (PP) also found the back of the net for Truro. Cole Waugh, with two, and Jason Gallant replied for the Ramblers. Macdonald made 35 saves.