The Antigonish Bulldogs have captured first place at the conclusion of the Don Johnson Memorial Cup round-robin schedule in Mt. Pearl, Newfoundland after they tripled the host Blades 6-2 Friday evening. Cameron Frost scored the Blades only two goals and they both came in the opening period but Bulldog goals from Jack Hayne, Zachary Lorette, Sam Grant and Ethan Twolan provided the Bulldogs with a 4-2 lead after twenty minutes. The score stayed that way through forty minutes before the Blades encountered penalty difficulties in the third period and allowed Grant his second goal of the game and Venel Campbell to score, both coming on the power-play. The Bulldogs outshot the Blades 40-25 including 19-11 in the first and 13-5 in the third period. Lorette’s goal also came on the power-play.
Both teams finished the round robin with 9 points but because of the Bulldogs win over the Blades, they took first place based on tournament rules. Venel Campbell who was chosen the MVP in the Nova Scotia Junior Hockey League Championship series, captured the scoring race in the 4 day round-robin finishing with 4 goals and 3 assists for 7 points. The Blades Vijay Sahajpal with one goal and five assists and the Bulldogs Ethan Twolan with 2 goals and 4 assists tied for second with 6 points. Campbell, Cameron Frost of the Blades and the Kensington P.E.I. Vipers Carson MacKay were all tied for the lead in goals with 4.
Saturday is semi-final day in the Johnson Memorial Cup Tournament. At 3:30 p.m., the Bulldogs face-off against the 4th place St. John’s Jr. Capitals, a team the Bulldogs clobbered in their round robin-game 8-0. In the evening semi-final at 7:30, the PEI Kensington Vipers who finished third in the standings go up against the Blades, a team the Vipers lost 6-2 too in their round-robin game. The winners of Saturday’s 2 games will compete for the Don Johnson Memorial Cup Sunday afternoon.
