WESTVILLE ROAD, N.S. –
With a chance to take a tighter grip on a Maritime Hockey League playoff spot, the Junior A Crushers will welcome the Yarmouth Mariners to the Pictou County Wellness Centre on Monday.
The Heritage Day tilt has a 5:30 p.m. start time.
The Crushers came up short in their bid to sweep a home-and-home series against the Amherst Ramblers on Saturday, suffering a 5-3 loss at Amherst Stadium.
Pictou County has eight games remaining in the regular season and are four points up on the South Shore Lumberjacks in the South Division standings. The Lumberjacks lost games against Yarmouth and the Truro Bearcats on the weekend, failing to gain ground on the Crushers.
Pictou County are 3-4 against Yarmouth, but have won the most recent three matchups.
It will be the final time the two teams play in the regular season, but they could see each other in the first round of the MHL playoffs.
Yarmouth is trying to hold off the second-place Ramblers, who are just three back of the Mariners.
On Saturday, Will Lafford’s second goal of the game broke a 3-3 deadlock to put the Ramblers in front of Pictou County, and Cole Waugh sealed it with an empty-netter.
Aiden Hickey, Kevin Mason and Isaac Chapman scored for Pictou County.
The Crushers host the Edmundston Blizzard on Feb. 21.
BY THE NUMBERS
Pictou County Crushers
Record: 19-16-7 (4th place, South Division)
Top Scorers: Barrett Dachyshyn (15G, 29A), Sam Meisenheimer (13G, 21A), Evan MacLennan (15G, 12A).
Stats Say: Aiden Hickey is the Crushers’ top scoring defenceman (5G, 13A).
YARMOUTH MARINERS
Record: 31-8-4 (1st Place, South Division)
Top Scorers: Matt Barron (27G, 32A), Brett Crossley (23G, 33A), Andrew Martell (19G, 29A)
Stats Say: Goaltender Tyler Caserley leads the MHL with 22 wins.
