2023 Eastlink South Division Semi-Finals
(2) Truro Bearcats vs (3) Valley Wildcats
-
- Game 1 – Sunday, March 19th, 7 p.m. – Rath Eastlink Community Centre
- Game 2 – Monday, March 20th, 7 p.m. – Kings Mutual Century Centre
- Game 3 – Wednesday, March 22nd, 7 p.m. – Rath Eastlink Community Centre
- Game 4 – Friday, March 24th, 8 p.m. – Kings Mutual Century Centre
- Game 5 – Sunday, March 26th, 7 p.m. – Rath Eastlink Community Centre*
- Game 6 – Tuesday, March 28th, 7 p.m. – Kings Mutual Century Centre*
- Game 7 – Thursday, March 30th, 7 p.m. – Rath Eastlink Community Centre*
*if necessary
|
Truro |
Valley |
|
|
33-16-1-2 (4th) |
Record (MHL Rank) |
22-26-3-1 (7th) |
|
9-1-0-0 (5-0-0-0) |
Last 10 Games (current streak) |
5-5-0-0 (0-4-0-0) |
|
214 (6th) |
Goals For (MHL Rank) |
181 (9th) |
|
174 (4th) |
Goals Against (MHL Rank) |
209 (7th) |
|
19.5% (10th) |
Powerplay % (MHL Rank) |
21.3% (8th) |
|
78.1% (4th) |
Penalty Kill % (MHL Rank) |
72.9% (10th) |
|
Tanner Humber-Dredge (16th) – 19G, 49A |
Top Scorer (MHL Rank) |
Ethan Landry (25th) – 16G, 39A |
|
Brendan Bays – 8G, 45A |
Top Scoring Defenseman |
Matt Power – 10G, 20A |
|
Connor Martin – 13-9-0-2, 3.22 GAA, .901 SV%, 2 SO |
Goaltenders |
Justin Bourque – 16-15-1-1, 3.40 GAA, .916 SV%, 2 SO |
|
6-2-0-0 |
Head to Head Record |
2-5-1-0 |
|
Tanner Humber-Dredge – 1G, 10A |
Leading Scorer in Season Series |
Josh Crooks – 4G, 4A |
Previous Meetings
-
- October 15th – Truro 3 Valley 6
- October 29th – Valley 4 Truro 5 (OT)
- November 4th – Truro 7 Valley 4
- November 12th – Valley 3 Truro 2
- November 23rd – Truro 3 Valley 0
- December 7th – Valley 2 Truro 6
- March 7th – Valley 4 Truro 6
- March 11th – Truro 3 Valley 1
Notes
-
- The Bearcats and Wildcats met in last season’s Eastlink South Division Final, which Truro captured in seven games before losing to Summerside in the league final. Their previous meeting was in the Division Final in 2014-15, where Truro swept Valley before, once again, losing in the league final; this time to Dieppe.
- Justin Bourque made 205 saves in his five games against Truro this season for a .923 save percentage despite a record of 1-3-1-0. He played the third-most minutes of any goaltender this season at 1,956, seeing action in 34 of Valley’s 52 games. Bourque led the MHL with 1,212 saves. He was one of only two netminders to make over 1,000 saves.
- Truro had five players with at least 20 goals this season. Landon Miron led the way with 28, followed by Carter McCluskey (26), Merle Putnam (24), Lucas Canning (23), and Sam Archibald (20). Valley had one with Jason Kwestel at 27. Edmundston, Pictou County, and Yarmouth each had five players above the 20-goal mark.
- Valley and Truro finished 2nd and 4th in penalty minutes this season. Truro had the better penalty-killing percentage through the season, but Valley had a 32.0% powerplay percentage (8 for 25) against the Bearcats in their eight head-to-head games.
- Truro’s defensive group is led offensively by Brendan Bays and Josh Steele who finished 3rd and 6th in scoring for blueliners with 53 and 38 points, respectively. Matt Power had 30 points to lead the Wildcats’ defensemen.
- The Bearcats were nearly as strong on the road as at home. Their 18 wins at the Rath Eastlink Community Centre were tied for the second-most this season with Summerside, only one behind the 19 tallied by Yarmouth and Edmundston. On the road, Truro went 15-9-1-1. Valley was 12-12-2-0 at home and 10-14-1-1 on the road.