The second round of the MHL playoffs are now set.
The Yarmouth Mariners rode a 3-1 first period lead all the way to a berth in the Eastlink South Division Final, defeating the Truro Bearcats 4-2 before a sold out crowd at Mariners Center earlier this evening in the seventh and deciding game of their Eastlink South Division Semi-Final series.
Connor Peveril got things started for the Mariners at the 1:45 mark of the opening period, firing the puck past Bearcat netminder Kevin Resop. The Bearcats would reply under six minutes later as William Mizuik scored his first career MHL goal to tie the game at one. Goals by Ben Chipman and Logan Timmons less than two minutes apart shortly after the midway portion of the period would give the Mariners a lead they would not relinquish. In the second, Kyle Bergh’s second goal of the series would extend the Yarmouth lead to 4-1. Bearcat Graham Rutledge would round out the scoring with just over six minutes remaining in the contest. Leif Hertz made 35 saves between the pipes for Yarmouth to earn the win while Resop stopped 26 shots for Truro.
The Mariners now move on to face the South Shore Lumberjacks in the Eastlink South Division Final. The Lumberjacks punched their ticket to the second round with a decisive 8-2 victory over the Amherst Ramblers at home last night. The best of seven series will begin in Yarmouth in the coming days. Full schedule details will be released in the near future.
Meanwhile the Eastlink North Division final between the Edmundston Blizzard and Summerside Western Capitals will begin on Saturday night at 7:30PM at the Centre Jean-Daigle in Edmundston.
Will MacLaren – themhl.ca