Adam Prudhomme
Editor
Any hope of the Napanee Raiders replicating their red hot start from last year was dashed this weekend with a 4-3 home loss to the Amhersvtiew Jets on Friday, followed by a 5-2 road loss to Port Hope on Saturday.
After going undefeated in their first 16 last year, the Raiders took their first loss in just their fourth game this time around.
Andrew White had the game winner for the Jets in Friday’s affair, breaking a 3-3 tie with exactly six minutes remaining in the third period. The two teams alternated goals throughout the game with Amherstview’s Cooper Salter getting the visitors on the board with the first goal of the game in the final minutes of the opening period.
Cameron Krupa responded for Napanee in the second frame, scoring 7:50 into the period, the lone goal of the stanza.
That set up a wild third where the two teams combined for five goals, the Jets accounting for three of them to secure the win. Ryker Van Spriel, Brad Wilson and White scored for Amherstview while Ben White and Erik MacNiel had Napanee’s tallies.
Logan Vale took the loss, stopping 41 pucks on the night. He was out-duelled by Marc-Olivier Robert, who had 43 stops.
Napanee was 0-6 on the power-play while the Jets failed to score on their only man-advantage of the evening.
In Saturday’s contest the Raiders once again found themselves tied with their opponents after 40 minutes, this time 2-2 with the Panthers. Once again they came up short in the third, as the Panthers struck for three unanswered to pull out the 5-2 win.
Michael Patrick and Marshall McFarland each scored for Napanee in the first, helping to build a 2-1 advantage after 20 minutes of play.
Sidney Wakely, Carter Chadwick, Noah Richard, Josh Sainthill and Isaac Langdon all had goals for the Panthers.
Vale made the start in back-to-back nights, allowing four goals on 31 shots,the fifth goal coming via the empty net. Ethan Reynaud earned the win for the Panthers with 24 saves.
The Raiders are now 2-2-1 on the season and will look to snap their mini three game winless streak on Friday when they welcome the Frankford Huskies to the SPC. Puck drop is at 7:30 p.m. and will be their lone game of the Thanksgiving weekend, not returning to action until Oct. 13 when they welcome the Panthers to the SPC, also at 7:30 p.m.
Coming up on Oct. 14 the Raiders will celebrate 35 years of their franchise’ history with an alumni game kicking off at 4 p.m. at the SPC. Following the game there will be a throwback dinner and dance featuring Chuck’s Lunch KT burgers, with a chance to meet the players. Tickets for the game are $10, $25 for the dinner or $30 for both. Tickets are available at Friday night home games or at Davis and Davis in Napanee.