YARMOUTH, N.S. — The Chris Scott Construction Mariners finished their Peewee AAA provincial playoff journey after losing in the semi-final contest at the NSMHL tournament this past weekend in Yarmouth.
In the first game of the round robin, Yarmouth tied the first place West Hants Warriors 3-3. Player of the Game Jared Pitman had 2 goals and an assist, with Dakota Ryer adding the other marker.
Game 2 against the Antigonish Bulldogs saw the hometown Mariners overcome a 3-0 second period deficit on the way to a 5-3 victory. Player of the Game Jessica Mackinnon picked up a pair of goals including the winner, while Sammy Cochrane, Jared Pitman, and Sam Hope added singles.
In the first game of the day on Saturday, the Yarmouth squad edged the Pictou County Crushers 3-1. Scoring for the victors was Max Darcy, Jessica Mackinnon and Jared Pitman. Player of the Game Cohen Stoddard made 24 saves between the pipes.
It was another come from behind victory for Yarmouth during their last game of the round robin, as they scored two unanswered, third period goals to edge the Truro Bearcats 2-1. A well played contest by both teams saw the Mariners overcome a 1-0 second period deficit. Player of the Game Dominic Jacquard sparked the offence with the first goal of the period, which was followed shortly after on a goal from the stick of Jared Pitman. The 3-0-1 record gave the Mariners a second place finish and a semi-final rematch against the hardworking Pictou County squad.
In semi-final action on Sunday morning the Mariners dropped a 6-3 decision to Pictou. Yarmouth took an early 3-2 second period lead on goals by Jordan Apostolofski, Jared Pitman and Jessica Mackinnon, but untimely penalties and a deadly Crusher powerplay led to a 4-3 disadvantage. Despite Yarmouth pressing for most of the final frame, the Pictou team capitalized on a pair of scoring opportunities to make the final 6-3. Cameron Barnes and Player of the Game Dawson O'Connell added assists during the loss.
This ended the provincial playoff run for Yarmouth, making them 28-20-5 overall for the season.
After a final week of practice, the Mariners will compete at the eight-team Joe Lamontagne tournament, where they will face off against the host Cole Harbour Wings, the Cumberland Ramblers, and the Rimouski Oceanic during round robin play.
The coaching staff and players of the Mariners would like to thank all the families for their hard work and dedication, making the playoff tournament a huge success, and send a huge thank you to all the fans for their support while cheering the team on during some exciting hockey games this past weekend.
The Mainland peewee AAA tournament in Yarmouth was won by West Hants, who had a 2-1 overtime win over Pictou. Both teams advance to provincials.
