DARRYL KNIGHT The Standard
Although they struck first on the scoreboard, the Port Perry Lumberjacks found themselves chopped down by the Uxbridge Bruins, after a thrilling comeback in a Battle of North Durham, on Friday, December 9th, at the Bear Den.
The Bruins came into the game with their sights set on getting even, in the season series against their archrivals, after dropping their past two games against Port Perry.
Despite an enthusiastic start for the Bruins, it was the Lumberjacks who would score first, taking the lead less than four minutes into the action, on a shot from the point off a face-off in the Bruins’ zone which knifed its way through traffic in front of the net.
The Bruins had several sensational scoring chances throughout the first, and finally tied the game 1-1, with just 18 seconds remaining in the opening period. On the play, Anthony Lamanna took a pass from Quinn Meek and curled around a pair of defenders, finding a streaking Ty Roberts with a nifty backhand pass which he snapped over the shoulder of the downed Port Perry goalie.
The second period saw both teams trading scoring chances. Late in the middle frame, off a defensive zone face-off, excellent awareness, from Josh Czalij and Luke El-Ayari, led to Uxbridge getting the puck out of their end and onto the stick of a streaking Blake Peters. The rookie forward went barreling down the ice, on the right wing, and shrugged off a defender, to pound the puck past Port Perry’s goalie, Gavin Bradt, to give Uxbridge a 2-1 advantage.
Roberts would put the game out of reach, early in the third period, when he intercepted a clearing attempt, in the Port Perry zone, and blazed to the net, scoring on his backhand, to push Uxbridge to a 3-1 victory, evening the season series, in the Battle of North Durham.
Loose Pucks:
- The game on Friday night featured a tremendous uniform match-up, with the Lumberjacks debuting their camouflage pink-in-the-rink jerseys, in support of cancer awareness. Meanwhile, the Bruins were decked out in the heritage alternate jerseys, featuring the logo used from 1979 to 2011.
- The Bruins made the trek to Lakefield, on Tuesday night, after The Standard’s press deadline, to tangle with the Chiefs.
- This Friday, December 15th will be a Battle of North Durham rematch, at the Bear Den, with the Lumberjacks returning to Uxbridge, for a 7:45 p.m. showdown.
- This Friday night is the last opportunity for fans to bring donations of new, unwrapped toys and gift cards to the Bear Den, in support of the Uxbridge Community Toy Drive. Donations can also be made until Tuesday, December 19th, at Canadian Tire, Body Fit Health Club, Boston Pizza, Zehrs, or McDonald’s, in Uxbridge.