MacLellan's OT heriocs evens junior 'B' series between Bulldogs and Pirates

Series resumes tomorrow night in Port Hawkesbury, with game four back in Antigonish Thursday evening

Antigonish Farmers' Mutual Bulldogs centre Fearghus MacDonald tries to maintain control off the puck after being tripped up on this play, versus Strait Pirates Jacob Keagan (left) and Taylor Pierce. The back-and-forth playoff game was eventually won by MacDonald and his Bulldog teammates; 3-2 in overtime. The result sees the series knotted at a game apiece with game three tomorrow evening in Port Hawkesbury. - Sam Macdonald

ANTIGONISH, N.S. - Antigonish’s Cory MacLellan’s overtime (OT) goal has knotted the first round Nova Scotia Junior Hockey League playoff series, between the Farmers’ Mutual Junior Bulldogs and Strait Pirates, at one game apiece.

The first-year forward took a pass from Bulldog veteran centre Logan DeYoung, from below the goal-line, and slammed the puck past Pirate netminder Cody Smith, with a 1:16 left to go in the first OT period.

The game was played Sunday (March 3) night at the Antigonish Arena and came two days after the Pirates drew first-blood in the series with a 4-2 victory on home-ice, Friday at the Port Hawkesbury Civic Centre.

Also scoring for Antigonish in thier win were forwards Zachary Forsythe and Spencer Barron, with Ryan Kennedy and Connor Aucoin registering assists.

Scoring for Port Hawkesbury were Taylor Pierce and Jacob Keagan, while captain Matthew Morgan earned helpers on both goals and picking up single assists were Olan Spears and Branden Dauphinee.

Bulldog goalie Jared Green made a number of important and difficult saves, especially during Pirate power-plays, on his way to making 32 saves and earning the win.

Smith made 36 saves in the lost and seemed to get busier as the game went along, with Antigonish generating better scoring opportunities down the stretch and into OT.

In Friday’s contest, Pierce led the Pirates with two goals while Spears had a goal and an assist. Hunter Woodland had the other Pirate goal while Dauphinee and Cullen MacEachern each collected two assists, and Josh Foster and Brendan Lanning one assist apiece.

Barron and Connor Fraser scored for the Bulldogs while DeYoung, Kieran Devine and captain Devin MacLaughlin picked up assists.

Smith made 29 saves to earn the win while Green made 24 in the loss.

The series resumes tomorrow (Tuesday) evening in Port Hawkesbury with a 7:30 p.m. start-time.

Game four will be at the Antigonish Arena Thursday night with a 7 p.m. puck-drop, and game five back at the Civic Centre the following night with, once again, a 7:30 p.m. start.