Adam Prudhomme
Editor
A trip to Frankford on Saturday night was just what the Napanee Raiders needed to bust out of their mini scoring slump-and four game winless streak-thumping the Huskies 7-2.
Napanee entered the game having lost to the Amherstview Jets 5-3 at home Friday night before getting back on track against the Huskies.
Maverick Labrie, Matthew Sheehy and Ben Carter each scored in the first for the Raiders to give the visitors a 3-0 lead heading into the first intermission.
Frankford’s Kurt Gibbs cut into the lead with a goal six minutes into the second. His goal didn’t ignite any comeback however as Connor Brooks and Logan White responded for the Raiders at 13:44 and 18:14 respectively.
Reid Lambert and Ben White each added a goal for Napanee in the third to put the game out of reach. Reed Anderson found the back of the net for the Huskies at 13:49 but it was much too little, much too late.
The seven-goal outburst matched a season high for Napanee, matching the touchdown they scored back on Oct. 9 against Campbellford.
The offense was a nice welcome for goalie Preston Swan-Merrison, who picked up the win in his Raider debut while stopping 14 of 16 shots. He takes the roster spot of Mitch Bown, who is no longer with the team. The 21-year-old Bown departs after posting an 8-1 record with a 1.54 GAA in nine games this season.
The previous night at home the Raiders once against struggled with their cross-county rivals from Amherstview.
Despite out-shooting their guests 10-4 in the opening 20 minutes, the Raiders trailed 1-0. Elliott Belzile opened the scoring 5:35 into the game on the power-play.
Napanee knotted the game at 1-1 in the second when Ben Chubbs made good on a penalty shot attempt.
Any momentum gained from that goal was undone by undisciplined play in the latter half of the period. Amherstview’s Brayden Robinson and Jets captain Mathieu Halle each notched a power-play goal to put the Jets up 3-1 heading into the final frame.
Dawson Frost scored a critical goal just 40 seconds into the third to put the Jets up 4-1. His goal was the start of three goals scored in a four-minute span-one of which came from Napanee’s Logan White at 2:24 followed shortly by Amherstview’s Robinson at 4:57.
Raider goalie Bailey Maracle deflects a shot from Amhersvtiew captain Mathieu Halle. Photo by Adam Prudhomme.
Both defenses settled in from there with Ben White’s goal at 13:30 the only offense either side could muster the rest of the way. His goal cut Amherstview’s lead down to 5-3, where it would stand until the final buzzer.
Bailey Maracle took the loss with 18 saves on 23 shots. Jeremy Piazzi turned in another strong game for the Jets, stopping 32 of 35 for his ninth win of the season. He’s now posted two straight wins over his former Raider club.
Now 19 games into their 35 game season, the Raiders are 14-3-0-2 on the season.
Following Friday’s win the Jets also next took on the Huskies, their game on Sunday afternoon. They also picked up the win, defeating the Huskies 6-3 to improve to 15-4 on the season and move into a first place tie with the Raiders, both teams with 30 points in 19 games played.
Port Hope is third at 9-6-2 (21 points), Picton fourth at 9-8-0-1 (19), Campbellford fifth at 6-12 (12) with the Huskies last at 1-17-2 (four).
Sole possession of first place will be on the line Friday night at the SPC when the Jets are right back in town for a 7:30 p.m. puck drop. That game will mark the lone action for the Raiders this week as they’ll have a full weeks rest before welcoming the Huskies to town Dec. 17 for a 7:30 p.m. puck drop and their final home game of 2021.