Wins are never easy to come by in the MHL, nor should they be.
The Truro Bearcats, icing a full lineup for the first time since the start of regular season play, are experiencing that.
Line combinations take time to gel. Familiarity with linemates takes time, and usually not without tweaking along the way.
The Pictou County Crushers came to the RECC ready to play. Fresh from their first win of the season, they pressured the Bearcats from the get-go dominating the first period.
Truro responded well in the second, picking up their first powerplay goal of the year, overshadowed, however, by a brutal bounce allowing the Crushers a short-handed goal.
The Bearcats came within one of tying in the third, but an empty netter sealed the deal for the visitors, a 6-3 road win.
Truro’s Special Teams play was solid, scoring on their lone opportunity, while not allowing any against in three Crusher opportunities. The team displayed resilience, as well, playing to the end making things close, until it wasn’t.
This week they prepare for a pair of road games; Friday in Valley and Saturday in Amherst. The team’s next home game is set for October 5.
The Valley Wildcats have one win in their first four outings while Amherst is undefeated in two starts. A road win would feel great right now.
Standings coming into Week Three have the Summerside Capitals and Edmundston Blizzard tops in their respective Divisions, each with three wins in as many starts.
Fans are wondering about the stoppage of play at the mid-point of each period. It’s new to the MHL this year and is equivalent to a Commercial Time Out. It occurs at the first stoppage after the ten-minute mark but not after a goal, or during a penalty or after an icing call.
Eastern Passage, NS
6’0”, 170 lbs.
20, Defence
Bearcat-of-the-Week honours go to veteran junior defenceman Camden McKenzie (20) who picked up Truro’s opening goal and first PP goal of the season. The Eastern Passage native played two U-18 seasons, one with Steele Subaru and the other with the South Shore Mustangs. The 2021 Pictou County draft choice played two seasons with the Crushers before being acquired on a trade prior to this year’s
draft to fill a need for experience in the defensive zone. It’s paying off.