CRAPAUD, P.E.I. – The P.E.I. champion Sherwood Metros defeated the Baffin Blizzard 6-5 Wednesday on the opening day of the Maritime Hockey North junior C hockey championship in Crapaud.
Owen Arsenault had three goals and an assist to pace the Metros attack while Shawn Corney had a goal and two assists and Robert Hicken chipped in a pair of goals, including the winner two minutes into the third period.
Brandon Sullivan, Jake Arsenault and Logan Toole had two assists while Brian Leslie and Hunter Boudreau each contributed one.
Mitchell Tilley scored three times for Baffin while Stephane Nukapiak and Andrew Pearce added singles. Maxwell Shoo had two assists while Nukapiak, Kevin Mathewsie and Josie Cote had singles.
James Duffy made 39 saves for the win while Mike Unuiqsraq stopped 30 shots in the loss.
The game was tied 2-2 after the first period and 4-4 heading to the third.
The Tri-County Rivercats from New Brunswick defeated the host Southside Lynx 5-4 in the opening game of the five-team competition.
Tri-County led 3-0 after the first period and 5-1 heading to the third, but the Lynx responded with three goals in the final 10 minutes to close to within one.
Defenceman Dominik Reid, a one-time Charlottetown Islanders draft pick, had a goal and two assists for the Rivercats while Ben Corey, Dusty Augustine, Justin Dunphy and Hunter Atwin also scored. Will Hall had two assists while Creighton Sanipass, Alex Vanderlaan and MacKenzie Clark each had one.
Drew Grady scored twice and set up another to lead the Lynx offence.
Tyson Beckingham and Chandler Dawson also scored. Kyle MacGuigan had two assists while Tyler Jurkowski, Ryan Beckingham, David Sato, Nick Vandervelden and Riley Payne each had one.
Josh Simpson made 28 saves for the win while Sean MacPhee stopped 28 shots in the loss.
Nova Scotia’s Spryfield Attack opens play today at 11 a.m. against Sherwood while Southside plays Baffin at 2 p.m. and Sherwood at 8 p.m. Spryfield and Tri-County meet at 5 p.m.
