WESTVILLE ROAD – The Junior A Crushers got a big third period when they desperately needed one.
Down 3-2 heading into the final 20 minutes in their MHL tilt against the Valley Wildcats on Thursday, the Crushers turned up the heat, scored three straight goals and held off a late charge to post a 5-4 win.
It was their first victory on home ice since the Sept. 13 season-opener (also against the Wildcats) and pulled them into a virtual fifth-place tie with Valley, who have a game in hand on Pictou County in the South Division standings.
“Everyone knew what we had to do,” going into the final 20 minutes, said co-captain Jacob Hickey, whose first-period laser from the high slot knotted the game at 1-1.
“We haven’t been a third-period team and that’s what we want to become.”
Evan Gallant scored the first of his three goals to stake Pictou County to a 2-1 lead after the opening frame, but the Wildcats put two pucks past Matt Normore in the second and carried that lead into the third.
Sensing another game slipping away, the Crushers responded with a gut-check performance in the final 20 minutes: Jaden Mason tied the game early in the period, then Gallant went back to work; he found himself with a loose puck in front of the net and had enough time and space to rip one by Valley goaltender Liam MacDonald to put his team back in the lead. He scored again minutes later with another seeing-eye wrister.
“He could have had a lot more this season,” Hickey said. “It was nice to see some go in for him.”
The Wildcats made it 5-4 with under a minute to go, but the Crushers ran out the clock to improve their record to 3-11-5.
That record is nothing to write home about, but it kept the South Shoe Lumberjacks in the Crushers’ sights – they’re five points behind South Shore for that final playoff spot.
“It was a nice win for the fans, and nice to get a win for ourselves at home. It was a good feeling in the dressing room afterward,” Hickey said.
Notes:
• Gallant had an assist to go along with his three goals, boosting his point total to 12. His hat trick was the first for a Crusher this season.
• Jean-Mathieu Lavoie, Tristan Bowlby, Riley MacInnis and Felix Meunier had the Valley goals.
• Matt Normore made 31 saves in the Crusher net.
• The Crushers scored five goals in a game for just the second time this season.
• Pictou County will be in Yarmouth on Sunday to play the Mariners and will then be off until a Nov. 22 home game against the Truro Bearcats.
• Crushers’ forwards Jaden Mason and Isaac Chapman are part of MHL Eastlink South team, which will compete at the annual Eastern Canada Cup All-Star Challenge in Quinte West, Ont. from Nov. 19-21. Mason is also reportedly joining the Moncton Wildcats for a pair of QMJHL games this weekend.
