Adam Prudhomme
Editor
Ben White had hats cascading from the SPC stands Friday night, scoring three times to lead the Napanee Raiders to a 7-3 win over the Port Hope Panthers, taking a 2-0 East Tod finals lead in the process.
White’s first of the game came 12:19 into the first, evening the game at 1-1 at the time. Port Hope’s Nate Burelle had gotten the visitors on the board 6:17 into the game. Brandon Rose struck at 18:31 to give the Panthers the lead heading into the first flood.
Ben Carter beats Panther goalie Brayden Friedrich on his stick side for his first goal of the playoffs. Photo by Adam Prudhomme.
White and his teammates went to work in the second as they rattled off four unanswered goals, outshooting Port Hope 18-4 during that stretch. White got the party started at 7:05, tying the game at 2-2. Andrew Car gave Napanee the lead at 9:38. Ben Carter doubled the lead less than a minute later, tucking the puck between the post and Panther keeper Brayden Friedrich. Carter got a feed from Spencer Cranley after his open ice hit lead to a huge turn over just inside the Panthers’ zone.
Hats land on the ice following Ben White’s third goal of the game. Photo by Adam Prudhomme.
White book-ended the period with a goal in the final seconds, completing the hat trick and firing up the crowd of over 1,000 people, most of which sounding like Raider supporters.
Port Hope got one back just 11 seconds into the third off the stick of Isaac Langdon to cut the deficit to 5-3. Thoughts of a spirited comeback were quickly put to rest when Napanee’s Cameron Krupa replied at 4:40. Blake Aylesworth converted on Napanee’s seventh goal of the night late in the third to wrap up the 7-3 win.
Logan Vale recovered from a bit of a rocky start to finish with 19 saves and the victory. Friedrich allowed all seven goals, giving way to Nicolas Parodo for the final three and a half minutes. Both Panther goalies faced a combined 51 pucks.
Napanee will look to push the Panthers to the brink of elimination in Game 3 on Sunday night in Port Hope. Puck drop at the Jack Burger Sports Complex is 7:30 p.m.
Game 4 is back in Napanee on April 2 at the Strathcona Paper Centre starting at 8:30 p.m.