Picton’s Cole Stevenson had a goal and an assist in Game 2 of the his team’s series against the Amherstview Jets. (Jason Parks/Gazette Staff)
The Picton Pirates finally found their way to the opposition’s goal line Sunday night and picked up their first win in nearly a month.
The Bucs scored 20 seconds into Game 2 of their 2026 Best-of-Seven Tod Division Quarterfinals and never looked back, besting the host Amherstview Jets 4-1. The victory evened the series 1-1.
The Pirates put up a solid defensive effort in Game 1 at home but couldn’t generate much by way of offence and dropped the opener 2-1.
The teams resume the series on Wednesday in Amherstview and then play in Picton for Game 4 on Thursday.
The Pirates struggled mightily over the final month of the Provincial Junior Hockey League regular season to score goals, notching only nine of their final six games–all losses. That’s why it must have felt like an elephant was removed from their shoulders when Cole Stevenson intercepted a clearing attempt inside the Amherstview blue line and beat starter Dean Spry on the first shot of the contest just 20 seconds into play.
Linemate Colby Leaver picked up the only helper on the Picton goal.
The Pirates smelled blood in the waster. Just over 90 seconds later, Ben Smith slipped a pass to Liam Rice and the defenceman-turned-winger scored his first goal from the slot at 1:59.
Thomas Elkins finally solved Picton starter Nolan Lane at the end of an Amherstview power play at 9:38 but Picton re-established their two goal spread with less than five minutes left in the middle stanza.
Mr. Stevenson sprang Keenan Wiles for a partial breakaway up the left side and the Carrying Place native fired a bullet over the blocking arm of Mr. Spry at 15:30 to put Picton up 3-1.
Mr. Lane was perfect in the third, stopping all 7 Amherstview volleys sent his way and Picton’s leading regular season goal scorer Luc Amat got his first of the series into a yawning Jets’ hanger with under two minutes left to play.
Picton’s goalie made 29 saves for his first PJHL postseason victory since the 2022 playoffs.
On Saturday in front of over 500 fans, the Bucs limited Amherstview’s scoring to a pair of goals just over seven minutes apart in the second stanza. Unfortunately for Picton, they were stymied by Jets starter Tyson Wilcox who stopped 38 of 39 shots and turned in a sensational Game 1 winning effort.
After a scoreless first, the Jets struck early in the second. Amherstview caught Picton napping on an early period line change and Nolan Fox was able to slip a nice pass to Gabe Williams on the doorstep of the Picton mesh manor for a 1-0 lead 1:44 into the frame.
Amherstview got a happy bounce at the 8:58 mark as Jack Churchill backhanded the puck from below the goal line and it took a circuitous route past Mr. Lane and into the Picton net for the eventual game winner.
Picton had a glorious chance off a 2-on-1 rush featuring Mr. Amat and Gerrit Kempers to break Mr. Wilcox’s spell near the end of the second but they couldn’t convert a goal-line tap-in.
The Pirates finally scored in the first minute of the third on a power play.
Mr. Kempers had a between-the-legs tip in of a point shot by Mr. Wiles 21 seconds into the third to carve the Amherstview lead in half at 2-1. Unfortunately, that was all the scoring the Pirates could muster.
Mr. Lane kept his club in the game with some ten bell saves but the Pirates couldn’t get any closer. Mr. Stevenson and Wes Jackson had some good looks at the end of the game but neither could beat Mr. Wilcox.
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