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Picton Pirate leading goal scorer Luc Amat had the shootout winner in Lakefield Tuesday night. (Jason Parks/Gazette Staff)
If there was ever a time for the Picton Pirates to come through in the shootout, it was Tuesday night.
After surrendering a lead in the late going, a pair of goals in the penalty shot competition by Gerrit Kemper and Luc Amat changed Picton’s fortunes dramatically. It’s funny what being on the winning end of an overtime game can do for your outlook. Instead of taking only two of a possible four points, Picton can say they outplayed the visiting Napanee Raiders in the third period of Thursday night’s home game and produced a winning result in a tough environment on Tuesday.
In the middle was a tough loss in Trent Hills Sunday but the Pirates sail on to battle another day thanks to a .500 weekend.
On the verge of extending their winless streak to four games, the locals sailed into Lakefield to tangle with the first place Chiefs in an early season gut-check type game. And won.
The first period wasn’t an easy one for Picton, particularly with the man advantage. The locals surrendered three shorthanded goals in this game and that’s part of a worrisome team trend. Picton also gave up three shorthanded markers in an 8-4 loss in Amherstview this season.
After Chiefs penalty killer Alex Whitney picked up some loose change in the slot at the 12:24 mark of the first, Picton did respond on their man advantage less than two minutes later.
Kennan Wiles picked up netminder Nolan Lane’s pass in the Picton end and darted through the neutral zone before zipping his fourth of the season past Lakefield’s Sacha O’Brien at 14:02.
The Pirates were quick to double the lead and Mr. Wiles played setup man to Cole Stevenson who scored from the same area of ice at 15:12 to stake Picton to their first lead of the game.
Lakefield responded with 24 seconds left in the opening stanza with, what else but a shorthanded goal. For a second straight power play, Picton made a crucial mistake in their own zone and Charlie Blewett blew it past Mr. Lane to square the affair at 2-2.
But signs this might be Picton’s night came at the very end of the period. With time winding down, Mr. Kempers collected a puck in the corner and fired a radio shot -heard, not seen – past Chiefs reliever Ashton Carrick. The goal with five seconds left in the first gave Picton a 3-2 lead.
Picton doubled the lead early in the second when Mr. Amat collected a delectable rebound in the high slot and beat Mr. Carrick for his team-leading eighth goal of the season.
Up 4-2 into the last part of the second, the Pirates again ran into trouble with their powerplay. This time, a gaffe behind the Picton net allowed Matt D’Angelo to collect a wayward puck and deposit it into a vacated Pirates vestibule at 13:36 to make it a one goal game.
Lakefield would tie the game at 4-4 just over four minutes later.
In the third, the teams traded goals right to the end of 60 minutes of play.
Picton pushed out in front when Mr. Kempers successfully fired through traffic at 6:25 to make it 5-4. Owen Hartwick potted his first of the year for Lakefield when he intercepted a wounded duck of a clearing attempt and beat Mr. Lane glove side at 10:20.
Picton answered right back. Rookie Wes Jackson was able to redirect a nice centering feed by Mr. Amat just 55 seconds after the Lakefield equalizer to give the Pirates a 6-5 lead.
But Picton couldn’t steer this one into port in the late going. With the Pirates killing a penalty and Mr. Carrick lifted for an extra attacker, Owen Thake scored a 6-on-4 goal with just under two minutes left to send the contest to an extra frame.
After neither side could light the lamp during overtime, the contest went to a shootout where Mr. Kempers went bar down to open the second round and give the Pirates an edge. Ethan Yantha once again victimized Mr. Lane in response.
With the contest on his stick, Mr. Amat made a couple of nice dekes in the slot area and lifted the puck over a prone Mr. Carrick for the eventual winner.
Mr. Lane wasn’t about to blow it a second time against Mr. Blewett and denied the Lakefield sniper to seal the game at 7-6.
On Sunday, the Pirates couldn’t get traction against host Trent Hills and chased the game after the Thunder went up 2-0 early in the contest. Ryan Sherwin and Owen Ellis had Trent Hills up 2-0 before Mr. Amat solved goaltender Parker Robbins with 1:41 left in the first.
In the second, the Thunder re-established their two goal cushion before it was erased by rookie Joey Bonter. The Belleville native sniped his first junior tally at 11:35 and was then set up by baby brother Jonny just under five minutes later to make it 3-3 after two.
But in the third, a loose puck led to Russ Dugauy doing his best Ron Duguay impression and firing the game winner past Picton starter Nick Parodo at 9:36. Picton couldn’t find a solution to Mr. Robbins and the hosts tacked on an empty netter to make it a 5-3 game. The setback was Picton’s first loss in Campbellford in four seasons.
On Thursday with nearly 500 fans in attendance, Picton eareased a 2-0 deficit in the third period to send their contest against Napanee to overtime.
After a scoreless first, Raiders rookie Carter Slaven bagged his first and second goals in the middle frame to push the visitors ahead 2-0.
Picton carved the lead in half at the 3:43 mark when Mr. Stevenson stuffed the puck under Napanee starter Jacob Brown.
Exactly 59 seconds later, Jakob Gardner set off a massive celebration as his third of the year was wired past Mr. Brown to make it a 2-2 score. Picton had numerous opportunities in the third to push ahead but Mr. Brown, an ex-OHLer in Flint, MI was equal to the task.
In overtime, the Pirates were victimized by a home run pass from Tanner Hawkins to Andrew Carr who converted on a breakaway with just two minutes left in the extra session.
The Pirates are at home Thursday against Amherstview and have the weekend off before hosting Frankford October 18.
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