Adam Prudhomme
Editor
Any momentum from the previous week’s big win over first place Frankford failed to carry over for the Napanee Raiders, who dropped back-to-back games to Picton and Port Hope.
Napanee started their forgettable week off with a 5-2 road defeat to the Pirates on Thursday.
Gerrit Kempers put the Pirates up 1-0 at the 6:30 mark of the first and the home team never relinquished the lead. All of Napanee’s offense took place in a span of 39 seconds when Cameron Krupa and Erik MacNiel scored in quick succession with just under six minutes left in regulation. Their efforts cut the Picton lead to 4-2 at the time, later watching an empty-net goal seal the deal in the final seconds.
Friday night at home the Raiders were again forced to play catch-up as the Panthers struck first, scoring 3:04 into the game. Napanee would keep it interesting, climbing to within 2-1 and 4-3, but ultimately wound up a goal short in the 5-4 loss. Ben Chubbs and MacNiel each had a goal for Napanee while Michael Patrick chimed in with two.
The two losses drop Napanee to 18-13 with one tie on the season with 12 games left to play. Their 37 points has them lodged firmly in fourth, seven back of both the Panthers and Amherstview Jets who sport 44. The Frankford Huskies continue to lead the way with 50 points. With their win the fifth-place Pirates climbed within nine points of Napanee.
Napanee will close out the month of January by hosting the Pirates for a rematch on Friday at the SPC. Puck drop is at 7:30 p.m. On Sunday the Raiders travel to Amherstview for a 7:30 p.m. road tilt at the W.J. Henderson Arena.