October 7, 2022

MUSKOKA SHIELD START WITH WIN IN EXCITING SEASON HOME OPENER THIS AFTERNOON

Photos and story by Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com

GRAVENHURST — If you thought the Leafs were exciting to watch, the Muskoka Shield put on as entertaining a show this afternoon in their home season opener.

And payback was sweet for the Jr. A club with Braeden Mitchell potting a hat trick and rookie Isaac Locker notching a pair in an exciting 5-1 win over the visiting Bancroft Rockhounds.

Last Friday and Bancroft it was the Hounds who came out on top of a 6-4 home win.

This afternoon in a rare mid-day match-up a new rivalry was clearly struck, with Hounds penalized before the game started for a player going over the red-line in the warm-up.

That was before their coach and one of his players was ejected.

In between the new Muskoka Shield took time getting going as the teams were settled down early on before Mitchell began his scoring spree with seconds before the first period buzzer ended.

He didn’t take long in the second to net another just 1:36 in.

**Braeden Mitchell celebrates his second of three goals today in a 5-1 win over Bancroft.**

Locker followed the example scoring his first in a wild third period only 1:21 after the puck drop for a 3-0 lead that latest late into the game.

The Hounds didn’t get on the score sheet until 3:41 to go in the final frame.

Mitchell rounded out his three-goal game with 1:48 left to play for a 4-1 lead.

Locker hit the empty net for the 5-1 win after Bancroft tried several times to score pulling their goalie off the ice four times for the extra attacker after the Shield encountered plenty of penalty time and leading in that deportment department 8-5.

Pretty much typical teenage hockey, but on the whole pretty well played before the end.

A little loose in early in a season that looks to improve in the months ahead.