WESTVILLE ROAD
The Junior A Crushers were looking for some redemption on Friday, a night after a 4-1 loss to the Valley Wildcats.
The Crushers had a home game against the Yarmouth Mariners, one night after they had a modest two-game winning streak snapped by the Wildcats.
Pictou County got off to a good start against the Wildcats on Thursday; enjoying a healthy edge in territorial play and after hitting three goal posts, winger Dylan Riley put Pictou County on the board when he got ahold of a loose puck – a carom off the right post – and potted a power play goal, with Michael Dill and Giancarlo Fiori drawing assists on the play.
Brock McLeod tied the game four minutes later, but after Valley’s Matt Warner took a five-minute major (blow to the head) and game misconduct, the Crushers couldn’t do anything with the lengthy power play, which ended early in the second period.
Even with the Crushers maintaining a clear advantage in puck possession, it was the last-place Wildcats who did the rest of the scoring. With Valley seemingly rejuvenated by the game-turning penalty kill, Riley MacInnis scored before the end of the second to give the Wildcats the lead, then MacInnis and Tristan Bowlby had third-period goals for Valley, who were outshot 42-24 on the night.
The game also marked the return to Pictou County of former Crusher players Mark Kennedy and Drew Packman.