Bearcats Rally From Early Deficit to Defeat Pipers 7–3

Bearcats Rally From Early Deficit to Defeat Pipers 7–3 

NEW GLASGOW, N.S. – The Truro Bearcats overcame a sluggish start Friday night, scoring six unanswered goals to erase an early two-goal deficit and skate away with a convincing 7–3 victory over the Pictou County Pipers in Nova Scotia Senior Hockey League action at the Pictou County Wellness Centre.

Mitchell Deruelle led the offensive charge with two goals and two assists, while Kelly Bent contributed a goal and three assists as the Bearcats picked up their first road victory of the 2026–27 campaign.

The Pipers, still searching for their first victory of the season, came out determined to make an early statement in front of their home crowd. Andrew Shewfelt wasted little time opening the scoring, finding the back of the net just 19 seconds into the contest. Carter McCluskey doubled the advantage less than five minutes later, giving Pictou County a 2–0 lead and putting the visiting Bearcats on their heels.

Despite the difficult start, Truro gradually settled into the contest and began generating opportunities of its own. Kelly Bent provided the spark the Bearcats needed midway through the opening period, finishing a play set up by Mitch Deruelle and Merle Putnam to cut the deficit to 2–1. The goal gave Truro some much-needed momentum heading into the first intermission, although the Pipers remained in control on the scoreboard after twenty minutes.

The second period would prove to be the turning point, as the Bearcats took complete control of the game with four unanswered goals. Daniel Perigo brought Truro even just 2:19 into the middle frame, converting a setup from Colin Campbell and Deruelle to make it a 2–2 contest. Only 63 seconds later, G. Blackmore completed the comeback, scoring off assists from Brandon Verge and Perigo to give the Bearcats their first lead of the night. The offensive surge continued just over two minutes later when Verge found the back of the net, with Jordan Wentzell and Patrick Stewart drawing assists. In a span of just 3:08, the Bearcats had transformed a one-goal deficit into a 4–2 advantage, leaving the Pipers searching for answers.

Truro wasn't finished.

With 5:30 remaining in the second period, Deruelle added his first goal of the evening, finishing a play from Bent to extend the lead to 5–2. The four-goal outburst highlighted the Bearcats' ability to capitalize on their opportunities and quickly change the direction of a game.

Carrying a three-goal cushion into the final twenty minutes, Truro continued to build on its advantage.

Shaun Neville extended the lead to 6–2 at the 6:09 mark of the third period, with Campbell and Tyler Brown collecting assists. Pictou County responded just 46 seconds later when Logan Crosby scored to cut the deficit to three, but any hopes of a late comeback were quickly put to rest. Deruelle capped off his impressive four-point performance with his second goal of the night at 12:16, once again connecting with Bent to round out the scoring and secure the 7–3 victory.

After a difficult start that saw Pictou County score twice in the opening five minutes, Matt Welsh settled into the contest and delivered a strong performance between the pipes for Truro. The Bearcats netminder turned aside 30 of the 33 shots he faced, helping keep the Pipers off the scoreboard during a pivotal second period as his teammates took control of the game.

At the other end, former Bearcats goaltender Alec MacDonald faced his old club for the first time and endured a challenging evening. MacDonald made 21 saves on 28 shots, but a four-goal second-period outburst by Truro proved to be the difference as the Bearcats pulled away for the victory

For the Pipers, the loss was another frustrating result in a season that has featured several promising starts but difficulty maintaining momentum over a full sixty minutes. Friday's contest followed a familiar pattern, with Pictou County establishing an early advantage before watching its opponent take control as the game progressed.

Final Score: Truro Bearcats 7, Pictou County Pipers 3