For the better part of two periods Thursday night, the Picton Pirates looked to be having a power outage. Trent Hills netminder Parker Robbins was thwarting the locals at every turn. Equal parts lucky and brilliant, Mr. Robbins and the last place team in the Tod Division played Picton into a contest.

The Pirates would finally break through and win going away, dumping Trent Hills 5-2.

But the club’s offensive woes would follow them to Port Hope on Saturday where the sixth place Panthers and netminder Aiden Cowan stalled Picton 2-1. The loss stings in Picton where the Pirates have designs on securing home ice advantage in the opening round of the 2026 Schmalz Cup playoffs.

Picton (14-10-2, 30 points) rounds out 2025 with four point contests at home with Napanee on Thursday night and Frankford on Saturday afternoon.

Struggles on the Road

After a scoreless first where they tested Mr. Cowan time and again, Picton put together a nice scoring rush in the first minute of the second. Caleb Martin’s cross ice pass helped Luc Amat and Ben Smith set up Gerrit Kempers in the slot. The Ameliasburgh native bagged his second of the weekend 32 seconds into the stanza to give Picton a 1-0 lead.

The Pirates had some clean looks at the Port Hope net during a lengthy 5-on-3 man advantage early in the frame but came up empty. Port Hope grabbed momentum off the successful penalty kills and at 8:25, Port Hope’s Nathan Hibbard capitalized on a failed Pirates clearing attempt, making it a 1-1 game with his third of the year.

Picton continued to press. Mr. Cowan continued to dazzle with leather bound larceny.

Early in the third, the Pirates were tasked with killing a penalty. With a chance to clear the zone, the Pirates didn’t. Colby Hercia stripped a Picton puck carrier of the disc and converted on a partial breakaway against Pirates stopper Nick Parodo. Port Hope had its first lead of the contest at 4:28 of the third.

With Mr. Parodo on the bench, Picton had a handful of glorious chances to pull even. Mr. Smith and Keenan Wiles had chances in tight to the Panther netminder but were denied. The Cats escaped with their 8th win of the season.

Coming Through at Home

On Thursday, Picton trailed at the halfway point but a slick centring pass off the stick of Colby Leaver sprang Mr. Wiles for a breakaway tally that evened the contest at 1-1.

In the third, Picton would pull ahead for good as Mr. Kempers converted on a power play at 7:37. While Picton held the majority of the play in the final frame, the contest was still up for grabs until Mr. Smith shovelled home his third of the season with under four minutes to play in the game.

Mr. Wiles sped away from the pack for his second of the game in the late going to make it 4-1. Trent Hills responded with a power play goal inside two minutes left but Mr. Leaver dialled long distance from his end to a vacated Trent Hills twine tent to make the final 5-2.

Of note, Mr. Robbins made 58 stops on the night in a losing effort.