Adam Prudhomme
Editor
Michael Patrick scored with just under two minutes left in regulation to help the Napanee Raiders salvage a 5-5 tie against the visiting Picton Pirates on Friday night.
Pirates goalie Ethan Schwarz turned in an outstanding showing, swatting away 51 saves and giving his team every opportunity to pick up the extra point.
After regulation solved nothing, the two sides headed to seven-minute overtime, where the Raiders outshot the Pirates 8-2 but still ultimately couldn’t get the game winner. Napanee outshot the visitors 56-18 on the night.
Picton jumped out to an early lead as Jacob Osborne scored just 1:04 into the game. Napanee responded with three unanswered as Ben White, Blake Aylesworth and Marshall McFarland all found the back of the net.
Picton replied with two unanswered in the middle frame to knot the game at 3-3. Each side had a pair of goals in the third, with Napanee’s McFarland scoring his second of the game at the 9:12 mark before Picton’s Cole Stevenson and Parker Mattis each scored less than a minute apart to give the Pirates the lead.
Patrick’s late game effort prolonged the game to overtime.
Though they didn’t get the win, the tie keeps Napanee unbeaten on the young season with a record of 2-0-1. The Frankford Huskies (2-0) and Port Hope Panthers 1-0-1 are also yet to suffer a loss thus far. The Amherstview Jets are 1-2, the Pirates 0-1-1 while the Campbellford Rebels are 0-3-1.
Napanee will host the Jets this Friday at the SPC with a 7:30 p.m. puck drop at the SPC. On Saturday they travel to Port Hope to face the Panthers, also starting at 7:30 p.m.