The Amherst Ramblers have taken a two-game lead in a best-of-seven-game semi-final series with the Yarmouth Mariners following a 3-2 win over the Mariners in Amherst on Tuesday night.
This win comes on the heels of the Ramblers’ 5-4 overtime win in Game 1 of the Eastlink Division semi-final three days earlier in Yarmouth.
The Mariners had been the first to score in the game, with a goal by Jon Johannesson (Matt Tomah) at 4:46 in the first period. Once again Brock Morrison came through for the Ramblers, scoring at 12:26, assisted by Danny Harquail and Patrick Harrison at 12:26 in the first period to even the score. (Morrison, a former Mariner, had scored twice for Amherst during the March 19 game in Yarmouth.)
The only goal in the second period was scored by the Mariners when Ben MacSwain (Kyle Campbell, Jared Hicks) scored on the powerplay at 12:47.
Amherst again evened the score in the third at 11:57 on a goal by Jamie Bishop.
For the second consecutive game the Ramblers’ Brett Shute scored the game winner for Amherst, this one coming with three minutes and 11 seconds left in the game.
The Mariners pulled Chase Gaudet from net in the final minute and Amherst got a delay of game penalty with 12 seconds left but the Mariners were unable to find the back of the Amherst net.
Shots on net were pretty even during the game, with Gaudet stopping 30 of 33 shots and Amherst goalie Richard Tingley stopping 28 of 30 shots.
Game 3 of the series goes Thursday night, March 21, in Yarmouth. Game 4 is back in Amherst on Saturday night.
Meanwhile elsewhere in the MHL the Pictou Crushers extended their series lead to 2-0 with a 4-3 win over Truro in that Eastlink Division best-of-seven-game semi-final series. Pictou County went 1 for 4 on the powerplay while Truro went 2 for 3. Brandon Thibeau stopped 38 of 41 shots for the win while Shayne Campbell stopped 19 of 23 shots in the loss.
In the Meek Divison’s semi-final series between Summerside and Miramichi, the 2-1 win went to the Summerside Western Capitals. Summerside leads that series 2-0.
Dieppe and Woodstock play Wednesday night. Woodstock leads that series 1-0.
