DAN CEARNS, The Standard
SCUGOG: The Port Perry Lumberjacks defeated the Lakefield Chiefs, but lost a close game to the Georgina Ice in their latest action.
The Lumberjacks played against the Chiefs in Lakefield on Tuesday, January 10th.
The first goal of the game was scored late in the period. With just 17 seconds left on the clock, Brayden Roberts put the puck in the net, giving Port Perry a 1-0 lead.
Over halfway into the second period, the Chiefs scored, knotting the game up at 1-1. Fourteen seconds later, though, Roberts struck again with his second goal of the game. Matt Overeem scored a little over two minutes after that goal, extending the lead to 3-1. Then, over 16 minutes into the frame, Roberts completed the hat trick with his third goal of the game, putting Port Perry further ahead 4-1. The Chiefs scored later in the period, and the game was 4-2 after 40 minutes of play.
Just over three minutes into the third period, the Chiefs scored again, making it a 4-3 game. But the Lumberjacks held on to win the game 4-3.
The Lumberjacks returned to home ice at Scugog Arena on Sunday, January 15th, for a matchup with the Georgina Ice.
For the first seven minutes of the game, both teams chased each other up and down the ice, but there were no shots in that timeframe. Just over seven minutes in, though, Mark Stoop scored on the Lumberjacks’ first shot of the game. About 12 and a half minutes in, A Georgina Ice shot bounced off the glove of goaltender Gavin Bradt and into the net, making it a 1-1 tie. But with just two and a half minutes remaining in the period, Joshua Russell sniped the puck into the net for his first goal as a Lumberjack, giving Port Perry a 2-1 lead heading into the intermission.
Neither team was able to score in the second period, with Georgina leading that period in shots 16 to 6.
In the third period, with Jake Weatherall in the penalty box for a head contact penalty, the Ice capitalized on their power play, tying the game 2-2. Then, with just two minutes remaining, Georgina scored again to take their first lead of the game, 3-2. The Lumberjacks pulled the goaltender to get an extra attacker on the ice late in the period, but the Ice were able to get an empty net goal, and Port Perry lost 4-2.
One Timers:
• The Lumberjacks will open the latest installment of the ‘Battle of North Durham’ against the Uxbridge Bruins on Friday, January 20th, in Uxbridge, at 7:45 p.m.
• Port Perry’s next home game at Scugog Arena is this Sunday, January 22nd, against the Clarington Eagles, at 2:25 p.m.