Adam Prudhomme
Editor
Eight was enough for the Napanee Raiders this weekend as twice they posted a ‘snowman’ on the scoreboard, doubling up the Frankford Huskies 8-4 at the SPC on Friday and then outlasted the Amherstview Jets 8-6 on the road Sunday.
Napanee came out flying in their first road game of the season against the Jets as Marshall McFarland and Ben White each scored twice in the first period to build a 4-0 lead in Sunday’s showdown with their cross-county rivals.
The Jets weren’t about to go quietly however as Matthew Donovan and Eric Russell each scored for the home team in the final two minutes to cut the deficit in half. Russell had a chance to put another on the board earlier in the frame when he was awarded a penalty shot, but Napanee’s Bailey Maracle was there to answer the call to deny him. Amherstview kept up the pressure in the second as Zackery McMahon scored in the opening seconds to bring the Jets within one.
Momentum swung back in the Raiders’ favour as Maverick Labrie and Cam Krupa scored at 6:32 and 8:55 respectively. Then the pendulum went back to the Jets’ side as McMahon and Russell each scored a goal to bring the Jets within a goal heading into the third period.
The offensive onslaught continued over the final 20 minutes as Napanee’s Ryan Kidd and Krupa potted two huge insurance tallies to push the lead to 8-5. Amherstview’s Josh Kudo got one back with just over a minute to go, but the Jets rally fizzled out from there.
Maracle finished with 29 saves on 35 shots for the win. Charlie Young took the loss for the Jets allowing six of Napanee’s eight goals. Samuel Closs allowed two goals on nine shots in relief. Napanee was 2-for-4 on the power-play while the Jets were 4-for-10.
Sunday’s game was much like Napanee’s game on Friday, when they battled the Huskies in a see-saw battle at the SPC.
Frankford jumped out to an early 2-0 advantage with a pair of goals less than two minutes into the game. Napanee scored the next two as Krupa and Noah Westwater each scored within a two minute span.
Ben Carter gave the Raiders their first lead of the night three minutes into the second period before the Huskies scored two unanswered. John Hearns tied things up in the last four minutes of the period.
Napanee took control for good over the final 20 minutes, scoring four unanswered to seal the 8-4 victory. Christos Chronis, Will Potts, McFarland and Blake Aylesworth all scored for Napanee.
With the two wins Napanee improved to 3-0 on the young season.
The Raiders will look to stay unbeaten when they head to Picton for their first look at the Pirates, Thursday night at the Prince Edward Community Centre. On Friday the Raiders are back home to face the Port Hope Panthers. Both games are a 7:30 p.m. puck drop.