TRURO, N.S. — Alec MacDonald stopped 43 of 44 shots as the Truro Bearcats posted a 2-1 shootout win against the Miramichi Timberwolves in Maritime Junior Hockey League action Friday at the Rath-Eastlink Community Centre.
In what unfolded as a defensive duel, the teams were scoreless through the opening frame, before Charles-Andre Cypihot tallied at 15:54 of the second to put Miramichi ahead 1-0.
The Bearcats pressed in the third period without much luck until the game neared the final minute mark of regulation. With MacDonald on the bench and Truro already on the powerplay, the Bearcats kept buzzing the Timberwolves net and were finally rewarded for their persistence.
Carson Lanceleve fed Spencer Blackwell in close and he took a few steps and let a point-blank shot go that beat Ben Gibbon to deadlock the game at one.
Overtime settled nothing, so the teams went to the shootout. After three Miramichi and two Truro misses, Bryan Laureigh buried his attempt for the 2-1 Bearcats win.
Gibbon stopped 37 of 38 Truro shots and was named second star, behind MacDonald. Laureigh got the nod for third star.
Truro will be without the services of captain Ben Higgins Saturday, Nov. 23 when they play in Edmundston. He was cited for abuse of an official Friday and will sit out a one-game suspension. Saturday’s game with the Blizzard is at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 24 Truro is in Grand Falls for a 3 p.m. matchup.
Next home game for the Bearcats is Friday, Nov. 29 when they entertain the Amherst Ramblers. The following night they host the South Shore Lumberjacks. Both games are at 7 p.m.
