Junior Pens secure exciting overtime win against Bay Ducks

LANTZ: Matt Anthony scored the game-winner as the East Hants Junior Penguins eked out a 3-2 overtime victory over the Bay Ducks Feb. 3.
The two Nova Scotia Junior Hockey League teams played a scoreless first period with the Penguins holding a huge 21-8 shot advantage. Bay Ducks’ goaltender Tom Nicholson was called upon several times to keep the Penguins off the board.
In the second, Ducks’ Dustin Campbell broke the ice first with a power play goal from Mitch Coady to give the Ducks a 1-0 lead.
Ten minutes later Marc Thibodeau had the Penguins even at one with an unassisted, power play goal. In the period the Ducks held a 20-17 shot advantage but the Penguins led 38-28 after forty minutes and the teams tied at one.
In the third, Bays’ Scott Bowness had the Ducks up 2-1, just over 30 seconds into the period, with a power play goal from Todd Martin and Mitch Coady.
East Hants’ Tyson Aalders, also on the power play, from Scott MacDonald and Cody Anthony, had the teams deadlocked at two to set the stage for a 5-minute overtime period.
Halfway through the extra period Matt Anthony potted his fifth game-winning goal on the year to give the Penguins a come-from-behind victory. Alex Porter and Mitch Elgi picked up the assists.
Melvin Day picked up the win for the Penguins blocking 34 of 36 shots, while Tom Nicholson was tagged with the loss while handling 59 of 62 shots.
The Pens return home this weekend when they host the Eastern Shore Junior Mariners on Feb. 10 at the Keith Miller Arena in the East Hants Sportsplex in Lantz. Game time is 7:30 p.m. The two squads meet on Feb. 11 in Musquodoboit Harbour.