June 8 – Game number 16 on the schedule for the Saints brought the Brampton Excelsiors north to Newmarket. The contest was a must-win in the Saints’ drive for the playoffs and the boys deleivered.
Cory Campbell got the nod in net for Newmarket, while Jacob Ferreira started for Brampton.
In the opening frame, the Saints controlled the play. Great ball movement set up Brandon Tanacs who quick-sticked home the first goal of the game. Five minutes later, Eric Mawdsley made it 2-0. Brampton would get one back, but Dougie Crawford replied before the end of the period with an outside shot that slipped through to send the teams to intermission with the Saints up 3-1.
The second period started with the Excelsiors on the power play and Brampton’s captain, Zachary Sunderland, fired one home to cut the Saints lead to one. The two sides settled in for a bit after that until a wild two minutes that saw four goals scored. Kavon Pinnock got it going finishing on a shorthanded fast-break. Brampton got it back 21 seconds later only to have Brodie Willard restore the lead 11 seconds after that. A minute later Crawford made it 6-3. Joel Wright, making his Saints return and season debut, ripped a shot from 20-feet out on another fast-break and Luca Romano buried on a late power play. The score at the end of the period was 8-4 for the Saints.
In the third, a Brampton goal only 29 seconds in cut Newmarket’s lead to three, but rather than let the Excelsiors start a run, the Saints stepped up and snuffed out any momentum. Mawdsley’s second of the game pushed the score to 9-5. Angus Rawding added two of his own in the period, while Aidan Fearn, scoring his first goal in Junior B, wrapped up the scoring.
“We came out and took care of business, plain and simple,” said Saints Head Coach, Dan Ransom Sr. “Despite what the standings say, that’s a talented team on the other side. But our goaltending and defence stood tall, while our offence delivered. Most importantly, the W puts us right where we need to be to make that push for a playoff spot.”
Final score: Saints 12 - Excelsiors 5.
Up next – you don’t want to miss Sunday’s pivotal game as the Saints take on the Ironheads. Only two points separate the teams in the standings as both look to secure the final playoff spot in the East. Game time is 8PM at Ray Twinney Recreation Complex.