TRURO, N.S.
The CEC Cougars defeated Northumberland Regional High School 6-4 in the final to claim the Northern Nova Scotia High School Hockey League title on the weekend.
The championship victory for Cobequid Educational Centre came after a dramatic 7-6 double-overtime victory against North Nova Educational Centre Gryphons in the semifinals.
In the final match against Northumberland, Connor Miller scored three times for the Cougars, while Brayden Gray tallied twice and Ryan Rath added a single. Weston Porter chipped in with four assists, Luke Smith had three and Aiden Pitcher, Cody MacDonald and Haydon Roy added one helper each.
In semifinal action, with the Cougars and Gryphons deadlocked at six after regulation, the teams went scoreless through a five-minute 4-on-4 session without settling the matter, and then went to three skaters aside.
Brody Schmitt scored his fourth goal of the contest, 4:55 into the second overtime after a perfect centring pass from Porter to send CEC to the final.
Calum MacLeod, MacDonald and Jackson Haight had the other Cougar goals. Porter finished with three assists, Roy added two and Rylan McIntyre, Smith, Kyle Stuart, Rath, Joe Fagioli and MacLeod all had one.
Steven Jackson tended net for both victories.
Up next for CEC is the Northumberland Regional Championship, a best-of-three series against North Nova. The winner there goes directly to Provincials and the loser plays the loser of the Cape Breton finals for a qualifying berth at Provincials.
Game one of the regional championship series is Tuesday, 7 p.m. at Colchester Legion Stadium; Game 2 is Friday, 7 p.m. in Trenton; and Game 3, if necessary, is next Tuesday at 7 p.m., back at the Stadium.
