Putnam's third period goal send Bearcats to Finals, win series 4-1

Bearcats Defeat Bulldogs 2–1 to Win Series 4–1, Advance to Northumberland Division Final

Truro, NS — The Truro Bearcats defeated the Antigonish Bulldogs 2–1 on home ice at the Colchester Legion Stadium to capture their semifinal series 4–1 and advance to the Northumberland Division Final.

Prior to the game, the league recognized Bearcats goaltender Matt Welsh with the league’s Top Goaltender award.

Truro entered the game with a 3–1 series lead after earning two road victories in Antigonish the previous weekend, including a 3–2 overtime win and a 4–1 victory.

The Bearcats opened the scoring early in the first period when Daniel Perigo found the net from a sharp angle just over a minute into the game to give Truro a 1–0 lead. Antigonish responded shortly afterward when Nick Mahar scored from in front of the net to tie the game 1–1 to silence the more then 

Both teams generated opportunities throughout the remainder of the period, but goaltenders Matt Welsh and Justin Sumarah made several key saves to keep the game even heading into the first intermission.

In the second period, each team received power-play opportunities and created several scoring chances. However, both goaltenders continued to perform well, keeping the game tied. Truro generated several close chances during the period, including multiple shots off the goalposts, but neither side was able to break the deadlock as the teams headed into the third period tied 1–1.

The deciding goal came just over five minutes into the third period when Merle Putnam scored on a breakaway to give the Bearcats a 2–1 lead igniting the Truro faithful in attendance. Later in the period, Colin Campbell nearly extended the lead for Truro but hit the post on a breakaway chance.

Antigonish pressed for the equalizer late in the game and pulled their goaltender for an extra attacker. A late penalty created a brief 6-on-4 opportunity for the Bulldogs, but the Bearcats were able to limit quality chances and clear the puck in the final seconds to secure the 2–1 victory.

Sumarah stopped 37 shots in the loss for Antigonish, while Welsh made 31 saves for Truro.

Despite the 4–1 series result, the matchup featured several tightly contested games, including a triple-overtime contest in Game 2 and another overtime game in Game 3.

With the win, the Bearcats advance to the Northumberland Division Final, where they will face the East Hants Penguins. Game dates and times are expected to be announced in the coming days.

Final Score: Truro 2-1 Antigonish

Photo Credits: Nick Gaines Sports Photography