Cole Stevenson had two goals for Picton Saturday afternoon as they beat Port Hope 5-1. (Jason Parks/Gazette Staff)
The Picton Pirates found the back of the net with some regularity this weekend and, as that practice tends to produce them, a pair of victories were secured.
The locals exploded for four goals in the first period of a rare Saturday afternoon home game and beat the visiting Port Hope Panthers 5-1.
The following day, Picton (9-5-0) made their first visit to the spanking brand new Sunny Life Wellness and Recreation Centre in Campbellford and blanked the Trent Hills Thunder 3-0.
With the mothballing of the venerable Campbellford-Seymour Arena, Picton’s Huff Estates Arena now officially has the worst lighting of any rink in the Provincial Junior Hockey League’s Tod Division.
After suffering their worst back-to-back defeats in this century, the Pirates were eager to turn the page on 8-1 and 9-0 drubbings on Saturday and had just the tonic in the form of the Port Hope Panthers. The Cats survived a scare the night prior, needing a five goal outburst in the third period to vanquish the North Kawartha Knights.
Picton tickled the twine first when Cole Stevenson cashed in on a penalty shot at the 5:06 mark of the first. The diminutive pivot managed a breakaway while Picton was killing a penalty and was fouled with a Panther stick. The forward went forehand-backhand in the slot area and fired a puck low to the glove side to beat the Port Hope goalie.
Kirk Stevenson would feed Luc Amat who converted from a tight angle at 7:50 of the first to make it a 2-0 Picton bulge.
Port Hope’s Spencer Eriksson solved Pirates starter Nolan Lane at the midway point of the frame from the high slot but Reese Kleinsteuber answered with his second of the year at 14:14 of the first thanks to a nice Sam McDonald cross crease pass.
Finally, Cole Stevenson doubled down in the period, firing his fifth of the campaign past Port Hope starter Brett Foreman. Zack Brooks picked up a helper on the play, racing to negate an icing and finding the elder Stevenson in the slot at 18:27.
Neither team would tally in the second and Picton had the only goal in the third.
Stirling native Aiden Treverton got in on the act with 1:24 left in the contest as he shoveled a Cole Stevenson rebound over the line.
Mr. Brooks and Cole Stevenson had helpers on the scoring play.
With several residents from the H.J. McFarland Home in attendance, Picton out-shot Port Hope 44-23.
On Sunday, Picton needed only one goal to secure a win and it came in the first when Quinte Red Devils call up and Athol ward native Kaden Koutroulides slid the puck to Gerrit Kempers who beat Trent Hills starter Andrew Claughton at 13:06 of the first.
Mr. Amat and Issac Krentz picked up assists in the second period when blueliner Rheydan McCoy added his second of the season at 6:08.
Finally, Mr. Kempers made it a two goal outing at 14:11 of the middle stanza when he fired home a power play marker. Mr. Trevorton and Mr. Brooks added assists.
The Pirates were proud to send defenceman Kaleb Bladwin and forward Keagan Carr to the 2024 PJHL Top Prospects game in Wellesely on Saturday. Despire firing 44 shots on the opposing net, the East Prospects were shaded by their South Conference counterparts 3-2.
Picton hosts the Thunder Thursday for the backend of the home-and-home series.
On Friday, the club is in Port Hope to tangle with the Panthers.
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