The Yarmouth Mariners’ spectacular season came to an end late Friday night in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba as the Maritime Junior Hockey League (MHL) champions lost 2-1 to the host Portage Terriers in the 2023 Centennial Cup quarterfinals.
Yarmouth outshot the Terriers 37-31 for the game, including 14-5 in the 3rd period, but two Portage powerplay goals proved to be the difference on the scoreboard. Franco Canevari was credited with a goal for Yarmouth after the Terriers knocked the puck behind their own goaltender. It was the lone blemish on the night for Bailey Monteith, who made 36 saves including several spectacular stops in the 2nd and 3rd periods as Yarmouth kept pressing in 5 on 5 play. Keegan Warren was named Player of the Game for Yarmouth, as he made 29 saves in the loss.
Reilly Mayne (3G, 1A) and Ben Roode (4A) finished with four points each to lead Yarmouth at the Centennial Cup. In all, fifteen of Yarmouth’s 20 skaters registered a point at the tournament.
Saturday’s semifinals will see the host Terriers face the SJHL’s Battleford North Stars, who finished atop Group B, while the defending champion Brooks Bandits of the AJHL take on the CCHL’s Ottawa Jr. Senators, who defeated the OJHL’s Collingwood Blues 4-2 earlier on Friday. The final is Sunday at 5 p.m. Atlantic Time.