YARMOUTH, N.S. - It was a daunting challenge facing the Truro Bearcats and, in the end, home-ice advantage proved the difference.
The Yarmouth Mariners posted a 4-2 victory Tuesday over the Bearcats to claim their Maritime Junior Hockey League best-of-seven playoff series in the deciding game.
The series was a hard fought confrontation throughout, with the home side victorious in each outing.
Tuesday, the Mariners wasted little time, as Connor Peveril scored to make it 1-0 just 1:45 into the game.
William Mizuik got that one back for the Bearcats scoring from Alex MacDonald and Dylan Burton at 7:04. But Yarmouth, who outshot Truro 14-8 in the period, opened up a two-goal lead on markers by Ben Chipman and Logan Timmons, scored a minute and a half apart, leaving the Mariners ahead 3-1 at the break.
From there, Kyle Bergh upped the count to 4-1 midway through the second, then Graham Rutledge tallied to give the Bearcats hope at 13:58 of the third, from Cam MacLeod and Campbell Pickard.
Truro pulled goalie Kevin Resop with 1:23 on the clock but were unable to draw any closer.
Resop faced 30 shots in the game while Leif Hertz was tested on 37 occasions but Bearcats snipers.
Game 7 proved a departure from earlier matchups in the series, as both sides clearly understood what was at stake. Just two minor penalties were assessed in the contest, one to each side. There were no infractions in the first 20 minutes.
It’s now the top two teams from the regular season in each of the divisions that advance to the next round of playoffs.
Yarmouth moves on to face South Shore Lumberjacks in the MHL’s Eastlink South Division final. That best-of-seven gets underway Saturday in Yarmouth.
In the Eastlink North Division final, the Edmundston Blizzard entertain the Summerside Western Capitals this Saturday to kick off their series.
