TRURO - The Truro Bearcats needed a shootout to slip past the Pictou County Crushers 3-2 Saturday in a preseason Maritime Junior Hockey League tilt at Colchester Legion Stadium.
Mike Richard was the hero, netting the only shootout tally in front of 200 fans when he beat Pictou County's Nate Perry as the seventh shooter of the showcase.
It was Truro's second win of the preseason over Pictou County. The Bearcats defeated the Crushers 5-4 in overtime Thursday.
The Bearcats erased a 2-0 deficit Saturday as Derek Andrews scored at 15:15 of the opening frame before Brandon Pye knotted the contest with a powerplay tally at 13:37 of the middle stanza.
Bruce Hornbrook and Corey Bennett gave Pictou County a two-goal lead by 11:18 of the first period.
Shayne Campbell started in goal for Truro and made 13 saves on 15 shots before being replaced midway through the game by Bible Hill resident Spencer Scott, who stopped all 23 shots he faced the rest of the way.
Truro resident Dylan Frank got the start for Pictou County and stopped 12 of the 13 shots he saw before Perry took over.
Although it was a preseason tilt, the rivalry between the two sides shone through as Truro's Zach Evans-Renaud and Pictou County's Kyle Kavanaugh were ejected for fighting twice on the same stoppage late in the second period. Truro's Philip Fife and Pictou's Daniel MacLeod also traded punches during the same whistle.
Travis Fernley and Patrick Levesque fought earlier in the period.
The Bearcats are back in action Sunday when they host Amherst in an exhibition tilt at Colchester Legion Stadium at 7 p.m.
