WESTVILLE ROAD, N.S. –
They let one get away.
In a Maritime Hockey League played game Thursday at the Pictou County Wellness Centre (PCWC), the Junior A Crushers coughed up a two-goal lead in the final minutes against the Campbellton Tigers and would eventually lose 5-4 in a shootout.
With the Tigers trailing 4-2, Francis Thibeault and Pascal Valcourt scored goals to send things to OT. Nothing was decided there, and Jared Janke had the only goal in the shootout to send the Crushers to their first home loss in nine games.
The Crushers held a 2-0 lead after the first period on goals from Evan Gallant and Isaac Chapman, Kyle Patten scored for Campbellton in the second and Antoine Gauthier tied the game four minutes into the third.
Goals from Sam Meisenheimer and Gallant’s second of the night restored Pictou County’s two-goal cushion before the late-game unravelling.
All was not completely lost on Thursday, however; salvaging a single point allowed Pictou County to inch a little further ahead of the South Shore Lumberjacks in the South Division standings; the Lumberjacks (18-17-3) were beaten 4-3 by the Yarmouth Mariners on Thursday.
Pictou County are two points ahead of South Shore in the standings, although South Shore has a game in hand.
The Crushers (17-15-7) play the St. Stephen Aces Friday night at the PCWC (7:30 p.m.).
