Truro defeat Edmundston 5-3 to win their fifth league championship
The Truro Bearcats returned home Monday night for Game 5 of the Metalfab MHL Cup Final with a chance to do something no Bearcats team had ever done since the franchise returned in 1997-98: win the Maritime Junior Hockey League title on home ice.
Truro jumped out to the early lead as Éli Baillargeon scored on a breakaway at 4:25 of the 1st period. The roar of the home crowd of 1,738 got louder just 1:18 later as Nathan Curson deflected home the team’s second goal. Alex Thibault cut the lead to 2-1 with a goal for Edmundston at 14:47.
The Blizzard took their first lead of the game early in the 2nd period with two goals from William Labranche, who scored goals ten and eleven of the playoffs 55 seconds apart at 4:43 and 5:38. Callum Aucoin answered for Truro 59 seconds later to tie the game 3-3 heading to the 3rd period.
As has been the case throughout this series, both teams tightened up in the 3rd period, with Cedric Massé and Louca Connolly making key saves to keep the game tied. After both teams were unable to convert with late powerplay chances, the game seemed destined for overtime.
That’s what Tristan St-Gelais stopped the puck at the Edmundston blueline and threw the puck at the net, beating Massé to put Truro up 4-3 with just seven seconds remaining. After an empty net goal from captain Liam Welsh at 19:56, time ran out, and the Bearcats flooded the ice to celebrate their fifth league title. Defenseman Jayden Connors was named Playoff MVP.
The Bearcats will now prepare for the Centennial Cup in Summerside, P.E.I., which runs from May 7th to 17th.