Adam Prudhomme
Editor
It was a bountiful harvest of points for the Napanee Raiders over the Thanksgiving weekend as they won back-to-back home games.
On Friday they topped the visiting Lakefield Chiefs 4-1 and then followed that up with a 6-2 win over the Port Hope Panthers on Saturday afternoon.
Andrew Carr and Trent Williams accounted for the offense in Friday’s win, each contributing a pair of goals. Carr opened the scoring 13:23 into the first and Williams doubled the lead at 17:06.
Williams had a goal late in the second and Carr wrapped up Napanee’s scoring just shy of the five minute mark of the third period.
Charlie Blewett broke up Logan Vale’s shutout attempt with just over nine minutes left in the game with a power-play tally. That would be the lone blemish on Vale’s 30 save evening.
Vale was back in the crease less than 20 hours later, turning in another strong performance in Napanee’s 6-2 win over Port Hope on Saturday afternoon.
Michael Patrick got the Raiders offence started with a goal that came at the 15:35 mark of the first period. Napanee was persistent but had little to show for their efforts in the opening 20 minutes of play, firing 24 shots on net while allowing just four Panther shots on their own net.
After a relatively quiet first period the goals came fast and furious in the middle frame with the two clubs combining for six goals, all within a 13 minute span.
Alex Case scored a pair for Napanee while Spencer Cranley and Ben White each scored once. Jesse Marcov and Noah Richard scored for the Panthers, cutting the deficit to 5-2 heading into the third.
That score held until the final minute of play when Williams added some insurance with his third of the weekend and sixth on the season.
Panthers goalie Brayden Friedrich saw 57 shots on the afternoon while Vale faced 16. Napanee converted two of their four power-plays while holding the Panthers scoreless on their two man-advantage opportunities.
Napanee’s two wins have run their winning streak to four overall, giving them a 5-2 record on the season, leapfrogging them into third place in the East Tod Division with 10 points, two back of both the Frankford Huskies and Picton Pirates, both with 6-2 records.
Those two clubs just so happen to be the Raiders’ next two opponents, starting with a road match against the Pirates this Thursday at 7:30 p.m.
On Friday the Raiders will welcome the Huskies to the Best and Bash Arena for a 7:30 p.m. puck drop.