TRENTON – Any way you want to play them, the Pictou County Scotians can find a way to win.
The Scotians won two Nova Scotia Junior Hockey League on the weekend and did it two different ways; they poured on the offence in a 7-5 win over the Eskasoni Eagles on Nov. 10, then received solid goaltending and two shorthanded goals in a 4-1 victory over the Liverpool Privateers the next night.
Pictou County is averaging 5.9 goals per game, best in the league.
Against Liverpool, the Scotians got their two short-handed tallies from Colin Holmes – his first opened the scoring, the second ended it on an empty-netter – and 41 saves from Matt Murray in the Pictou County crease.
Ryan MacDonald and Ian Keating also had goals for the Pictou County, Robert Burrows had a two-point night and Liam Sullivan replied for the Privateers.
Saturday in Eskasoni, Jeremy McFarlane scored twice and set up three others as Pictou County out-gunned the Eagles.
Jacob Pentz and Cory McCrudden both scored two goals, and Will Kelly counted a goal and three assists. Defenceman Logan Vandermeeraker had three assists, giving him a league-best 23 on the season, although he received a three-game suspension for a hit from behind in the game against Eskasoni.
Pentz is tied with Brady Meech of the Cole Harbour Colts for the league lead in goals (17).
Thomas Noel Simon had two goals for the Eagles, who are their inaugural NSJHL season.
The Scotians (9-3) have won six of its past seven games and play on Nov. 18 in Trenton (6 p.m.) against Cole Harbour.