The Picton Pirates picked up another four points this weekend and, as the 2024-25 Provincial Junior Hockey League regular season nears its midway point, the good ship continues underway in good fortune.

Heading into Thursday’s back end of a home and home set with Lakefield at Huff Estates Arena, Picton (13-5-0) find themselves in a tie for second with Napanee at 26 points. While the locals haven’t exactly set the world on fire offensively, they’ve surrendered the least number of goals (45) in the division and can certainly count themselves in the thick of things at top of the Tod.

Picton’s most recent win, their sixth in a row, came inside the comfy confines of the Lakefield Smith Community Centre Saturday night. It was the first time since 2014 Picton has docked at the frozen bath tub that makes the Pirates mite-sized home playing surface expansive in comparison.

Tight quarters, tight contest

Going into the contest, Pirates bench boss Jamie Laine said the club needed to match Lakefield’s intensity from the start. The hosts can be a bit of nasty business in their bandbox if they get on a roll.

“For the most part, it was a solid 60 minute effort from the entire group,” he told the Gazette.

The Pirates broke the ice in the first on the power play. While working the puck around the boards, Cole Stevenson took a pass behind the net from Owen Findlay.

Mr. Stevenson made a quick dish to Garritt Kempers at 7:45 and the Ameliasburgh native had no trouble burying his 11^th of the season.

In the second, Picton was again on the power play but this time the host Chiefs took advantage. Penalty killer Brayden D’Innocenzo was able to lurk behind the Picton pointmen and Angu Leahy’s quick up pass allowed Mr. D’Innocenzo to skate in on partial breakaway and beat Pirates starter Nolan Lane at 11:08 to put the game back to square at 1-1.

Picton pulled ahead for good just under three minutes later thanks to some dogged determination on the forecheck.

Super sophomore Luc Amat liberated the puck from a Lakefield defender near the boards and curled to the Chiefs net. Mr. Kempers got a jump on the play and a nice backhand pass was delivered on the tape to the right face off dot where the sniper bagged his second of the game and 12^th of the year at the 14:06 mark.

From there, both Nolan Lane and Lakefield Ayden Bulmer went save-for-save. Finally, in the dying minutes with Mr. Bulmer yanked for an extra Lakefield skater, Picton would have a couple of chances to put the game on ice. Mr. Amat nearly capitalized on a yawning cage with a diving swing of his stick, only to miss and go crashing into the end boards.

About 20 seconds later, veteran Parker Mattis cleared the Picton zone, stuck with a bounding disc and fired it home with 60 seconds left on the clock to make it a 3-1 final.

On a roll…eventually

On Thursday at home against North Kawartha, Coach Lane admitted his club didn’t defend as well as they normally do but managed to get momentum halfway through the second. Picton never looked back in an 8-1 walloping over the visiting Knights.

After a tepid start by both clubs, Picton’s Colby Leaver cashed in his fifth of the year with under three minutes left in the first.

Picton’s energy line of Mr. Leaver, Mr. Mattis and Nolan Rosebush offers Picton a little bit of everything. On the game’s opening goal, it involved an offensive zone face off win by Mr. Leaver, good puck pursuit by Mr. Mattis, a deft back hand pass by Mr. Rosebush and nice hand-eye coordination by the shooter to make it 1-0 Picton.

In the second, it was the Aiden Treverton show as the veteran notched his 100^th PJHL point by way of a smart pass by linemate Zack Brooks. The Picton pair played pitch and catch on a short 2-on-1 rush and Mr. Treverton had a goal line tap in for his century mark point.

With time winding down in the frame, the Stirling native doubled down in the period, firing a rebound from the top of the circles past Knight’s starter Parker Robbins to make it 3-0 Picton heading to the break.

In the third, the Pirates were decidedly ahead flank as rookie Trevor Brooks would notch a hat trick. Nolan Lane would miss out on a shutout by just over four minutes as Jeremy Poulin’s first of the year was the only blemish on the Wellington native’s outing.

Mr. Amat scored Picton’s seventh of the night in the late going and Mr. Leaver bookended the offence with his second of the match with under a minute left to make the final 8-1.

Up next

After Picton plays the Chiefs on Thursday, they are in North Kawartha on Saturday night.

The Pirates host Napanee on Thursday 28 November and play in Frankford on Saturday the 30th.