A busy weekend has the Bruins back on track

DARRYL KNIGHT The Standard

What a difference a week makes.

After suffering through a four-game losing streak, the Uxbridge Bruins gave their supporters lots to cheer about this past weekend, scoring back-to-back wins.

The Bruins faced a tough task at the Bear Den on Friday, November 17th, as they played host to the Orr Division-leading Clarington Eagles.

There was a brisk pace to the action in a penalty-free first period. Ty Roberts opened the scoring just over four minutes into the game, although the Eagles would quickly reply to leave the score knotted at 1-1 at the end of the opening stanza.

The second period saw both teams turn up the intensity, and just over five minutes into the middle frame, Anthony Lamanna scored unassisted to restore Uxbridge’s lead. Shortly afterward, Lamanna and Owen Shier earned the assists on Quinn Meek’s powerplay goal as the Bruins pushed their lead to 3-1. But, the Eagles would storm back to cut the lead back to one-goal with just over five minutes remaining in the second. However, Roberts would net his second of the evening late in the second to lift Uxbridge to a 4-2 advantage after 40 minutes of action.

The end-to-end action continued in the third period, and once again, the Eagles would draw to within a goal just over five minutes into the final frame. However, that would be as close as they would get. Andrew Claughton made several sensational saves down the stretch in goal for Uxbridge while Meek and Travis Winder added third-period goals as the Bruins withstood a late push by the Eagles to claw their way to a 6-4 victory and snapped their recent losing streak in spectacular fashion.

The Bruins had little time to savour the victory, though. The next morning, the team took part in the 62nd annual Uxbridge Santa Claus Parade down Brock St., before boarding their bus for a Saturday night match-up in Apsley against the North Kawartha Knights.

The Bruins showed little signs of their whirlwind 24 hours to start the game, with Winder and Meek scoring to give Uxbridge an early lead. However, the Knights would storm back in the second with two goals of their own to tie the game early in the middle frame.

But, Uxbridge would not be denied on this night, as Mark Sifri and Roberts scored late in the second period to restore a 4-2 advantage for the boys in black and yellow. The third period saw the Knights denied time and time again by Matt Czalij, who turned aside several great scoring chances to shut the door on any comeback attempt to seal the win for the Bruins.

Loose Pucks:

- The Bruins will renew hostilities with Clarington on Thursday, November 23rd, with a 7:25 p.m. tilt in Bowmanville.

- On Friday night, the Bruins are back in action at the Bear Den as they square off against the Georgina Ice at 7:45 p.m.

- The Bruins are once again collecting new, unwrapped toys and gift cards at all home games in support of the Uxbridge Community Toy Drive.