TRURO, N.S. – The Truro Bearcats took a pair of Maritime Junior Hockey League games on the weekend, downing the Valley Wildcats 6-1 Saturday in Berwick and doubling the visiting Miramichi Timberwolves Sunday afternoon at the Rath-Eastlink Community Centre.
In a matchup of teams holding down third place in their respective divisions, the Bearcats and Timberwolves were tied 1-1 after the opening frame but Truro scored twice in the second to take a 3-1 lead after 40 minutes. All three of the Bearcats’ goals came by way of the power play as they made good on three of four opportunities.
Jarrett Wood scored to bring Miramichi to within one early in the third, but the Bearcats put it away with empty-net goal by Shaun Bily from Luke MacMillan at 19:23.
Truro captain Dylan Burton scored a pair of goals with Carson Lanceleve picking up the other. Bily had a pair of assists to go with his empty-netter. Chris Murphy had the Timberwolves’ first-period marker.
Netminder Alec MacDonald earned the win, turning aside 31 of 33 Miramichi shots. At the other end, Stewart Bagnell faced 38 Truro shots.
Saturday in Berwick, the Bearcats carried a 4-0 lead into the third period and wrapped up the 6-1 win in the final 20 minutes.
Karter Renouf scored twice for Truro, with singles going to G Blackmore, Cole Julian, Caleb Hart and Lauchie MacDonald.
Brennan Laverty had the lone Valley goal, coming midway through the third. Myles Hektor stopped 26 of 27 shots for the win.
Next up for the Bearcats is a contest against the league-leading Mariners Friday night at 7:30 p.m. in Yarmouth. Saturday, they host the Pictou County Weeks Crushers at 7 p.m. at the RECC.
The Bearcats (14-7-1-0-2-1) have a comfortable hold on third place in the MHL’s Eastlink South Division with 30 points, eight ahead of the South Shore Lumberjacks and two back of the Amherst Ramblers. Yarmouth has 43 points.
In the northern loop, Summerside leads with 34 points, followed by Campbellton (29), Edmundston (25) and the Timberwolves (24).
