Truro now leads the Eastlink South Division playoff series 2-0 and needs just two more wins – compared to four needed by the Mariners – to take the series. Game 3 of the best-of-seven-game series goes Monday night in Truro. The series returns to Yarmouth on Wednesday.
Truro now leads the Eastlink South Division playoff series 2-0 and needs just two more wins – compared to four needed by the Mariners – to take the series. Game 3 of the best-of-seven-game series goes Monday night in Truro. The series returns to Yarmouth on Wednesday.
Before a crowd of 1,311, the Bearcats edged out the Mariners 2-1 in Game 2. The first period saw no scoring with Bearcats’ Noah Archibald (Denver Lynds, Tyler Pyke) scoring the lone goal in the second.
The Mariners got on the scoreboard at 3:39 in the third period off the stick of Matthew Barron (Jordan Messenger, Ben Chipman).
Nic Blanchard (Kyle Tibbo) of the Bearcats scored at 12:40 in the third to go up by a goal.
The Mariners pulled goalie Leif Hertz for the extra attacker at the end of the period but weren’t able to score.
Yarmouth outshot Truro 27-21 in the game, which saw few penalties called. Each team went to the box three times, with no penalties called in the third period.
Game 1 last Thursday saw Truro with the 5-2 win. The game was tied at 2-2 in the third when in the last 5 minutes Truro scored three quick goals – the first two coming one minute apart and the third scored on a power play on the empty net.
This playoff series marks a return to playoffs for the Mariners who finished last in their division last season with 26 points, compared to a big turnaround and their 70 points this year. The previous year the team didn’t get past the three-game mini-series that existed at the time.
The Mariners have struggled with Truro this season, losing all six regular season games to the Bearcats – although three of those loses came in shootouts.
REMAINING SERIES SCHEDULE:
• GAME 3: In Truro on Monday, March 20
• GAME 4: In Yarmouth Wednesday, March 22
• GAME 5: In Truro Sunday, March 25
• GAME 6: In Yarmouth Sunday, March 26
• GAME 7: In Truro Tuesday, March 28
The team that wins four games will advance to the division final.
Meanwhile, the other semi-final series in the Eastlink South Division is tied 1-1 after the Amherst Ramblers, in fourth place in the division, defeated the division leaders Pictou Crushers 4-1 in Game 2 played Saturday night.
