Mariners Advance to MHL Final

The Yarmouth Mariners are on their way to the MHL Final.

On the strength of a pair of third period goals, defeated the South Shore Lumberjacks 4-2 before a sellout crowd at Mariners Center earlier tonight. With the win, Yarmouth won the best of seven Eastlink South Division Final series in five games.

Andrew Martell got the Mariners on the board, beating Lumberjacks’ goaltender Conor McCollum for his third goal of the postseason at the 14:28 mark of the first period. 90 seconds later, Brendan Young increased the Mariners lead to 2-0 with his first goal of the playoffs. The club would hold this 2-0 lead after 20 minutes. In the second period, the Lumberjacks would strike back. Logan O’Neil’s seventh goal of the playoffs would cut South Shore’s deficit in half just over five minutes into the middle frame. South Shore would then tie things up at two with just under five minutes remaining in the period as Samuel Cyr-Ledoux recorded a shorthanded marker – his third of the postseason – to send the teams to the dressing room deadlocked after two periods. Yarmouth would put away the game in the third period as Adam Pilotte’s first playoff tally at the 5:16 mark would prove to be the game and series winner. Aaron Maillet’s powerplay goal with forty seconds remaining would provide insurance for the Mariners. Leif Hertz stopped 29 shots in the win for Yarmouth while McCollum made 30 saves for the Lumberjacks.

The Mariners are moving on to the MHL Final for the first time since 2012 and will be looking to capture their first playoff title since 2008. They will face the winner of the Eastlink North Division Final series between the Edmundston Blizzard and Summerside Western Capitals in the final. The Blizzard hold a 3-2 series lead in that best of seven series. Game 6 takes place tomorrow night in Summerside at 7PM.

The winner of the MHL Final will move on to the 2018 Fred Page Cup Eastern Canadian Jr.A Championship, set to take place in Ottawa, Ontario May 2-6^th.

Will MacLaren – themhl.ca