Nathan Garrett scored twice
and added two assists and linemates Nolan Edmonstone and Jaren Pirie each had a
goal and two helpers to lift the Maitland Pre-Novice Ice Sharks to a 5-3 road
win over the Collingwood Blue Thunder on Wednesday.
Hunter Stewart also found the back of the net while Connor Doyle, who was shifted from defence to centre only moments prior to puck drop, and Logan Burnham chipped in with the other assists.
Netminder Braden McKinnon was his usual rock-steady self to record the win for the Ice Sharks, who improved to 6-2 on the season.
“It wasn't pretty but we'll take it," said Maitland head coach Jason Pirie. "Overall, I thought it was the most inconsistent game we have played this spring. The urgency we saw in our game at the Stratford tournament wasn’t there from the get-go and we never seemed to find a consistent stride.
"We had maybe one solid shift for every two sub-par shifts. Fortunately for us, that was good enough to pick up a win tonight."
Stewart, from Doyle and Burnham, opened the scoring 2:32 into the contest when his perfectly placed wrist shot from the high right circle found the corner behind the Collingwood goaltender.
The Blue Thunder would even the score at 1-1 before the end of the first period and the score would remain that way until late in the second frame when Edmonstone put the finishing touch on a nice three-way passing play with linemates Garrett and Pirie to pull Maitland ahead 2-1.
The Ice Sharks, while on their lone power play advantage, would increase its lead only 23 seconds later when Pirie won the draw to his right and Edmonstone tapped it back to Garrett who blasted a wrist shot high glove.
Garrett then provided the Ice Sharks with a three-goal advantage on a brilliant solo effort at the midway point of the third period. With his team in the midst of a line change, the winger burst through the neutral zone and split a pair of Blue Thunder defencemen before feinting left to right and tucking the puck in on his backhand.
Collingwood would battle back by burying a pair of goals within a span of 3:35, including one with 42 seconds remaining.
However, the Ice Sharks would hold on.
Pirie rounded out the game scoring when he accepted a nice feed in front from Edmonstone with only 9.2 seconds left on the clock. Garrett also pitched in with an assist on the play.
“Once we had a three-goal lead I thought overconfidence set in and we sat back and started watching instead of attacking the puck,” said coach Pirie. “We’ll need to see a more aggressive, quicker style of play if we want to give ourselves a chance next game.”
The Ice Sharks next welcome Quick Feet to the Julie McArthur Regional Recreation Centre on Saturday. Puck drop is scheduled for 4:30 p.m.