BETTER BEARS BUT STILL NO MATCH FOR TOP DOG TERRIERS IN 6-1 LOSS AT HOME FRIDAY

Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com

BRACEBRIDGE — The improved Bears chasing the PJHL championship got a taste of the top again last night when they realized how far off they are from that elusive goal.

The Muskoka Jr. C team entered last night’s game with their southern rival and league champion from Orillia with a solid 2-2 record.

The Terriers 1-2 going in showed the northerners how far apart the two still are in the Bears’ second season.

While the Bears are much better than last year and for much of Friday night they were the better club, the goal gods weren’t with them as they just weren’t getting any breaks.

But the visiting veteran line-up easily came out topside of a 6-1 win at the Muskoka Lumber Community Centre before an announced crowd of 360.

Orillia captain Lleyton McLean, who had a goal and assist — and was the game’s first star in last night’s 6-1 win over the host Muskoka Bears — breaks out of his end with a the puck. PHOTOS Mark Clairmont MuskokaTODAY.com

It was only Orillia’s second win of the season in four games.

And dropped Muskoka to 2-3.

The Bears worked hard as usual and stole the puck often, but couldn’t put it past Wilson Mackey until Liam Cardiff’s late power play marker at 16:16 of the third.

By then the damage had been done as the Terriers picked and punched their way to a .500 record. A slow start for the PJHL’s top team last year.

Muskoka began well grabbing the puck and making Mackey work hard for the win.

Muskoka’s Tyson Jenning leans into a Terriers opponent as the Bears worked hard, but were only rewarded with one goal Friday at home late in the third.

The Terriers goalie was sharp stymieing the Bears a couple of key times including a breakaway chance by Dylan Hendrick and in the second robbing Kevin Demeules with a great glove save with 13:47 to play.

Their two best players so far combined again in the second with a great pass from Demeules to Kendrick that he just tipped past the top right corner of the net.

However, it was the steadiness of the Terriers that allowed them to chip away early with a barrage of shots to make a one-goal game at 17:22 of the opening 20 minutes when Caden Carroll’s beat Kyle Downey when he gave up a rebound and left an open net. The new Bears goalie did hold his team in on another busy night with 48 saves.

Showing more mettle, Orillia persisted an unassisted Brenner Boddy popped in another with 3.8 seconds to go to the first intermission.

Bears captain Aiden MacDonald was solid until getting a major penalty and game misconduct in the second as the game got a little chippy.

But penalties dominated the middle stanza including fighting and game misconducts at 13:12 to Boddy and Bears captain Aiden MacDonald who left the ice bloodied and arena staff called out to clean up.

Muskoka’s Logan Cicchelli and Marcus Petroff were also tossed for fighting. And Demeules got a 10-minute misconduct for unsportsmanlike conduct.

That allowed Orillia to net another in the second by Zeke Neely at 14:45. And they kept building up the score with three more in the third, including captain Lleyton McLean at 1:47 for a 4-0 lead followed by Easton Aldebert on the power play at 9:54 and Gavin Pitch 14:03.

Shots on goal: Orillia 24-15-15=54; Muskoka 12-9-8=29.

Power play opportunities: Orillia 2 / 8; Muskoka 1 / 6.

Goalies: winner Mackey 2-2-0-0 (29 shots-28 saves); Downey 1-2-0-0 (54 shots-48 saves).

Notes:

Orillia had previously lost 4-3 to Midland and 7-3 to Innisfil — before they shut out Stayner 6-0 last Saturday.

Heading into tonight the Bears had two wins over Huntsville (4-2) last Friday and Innisfil (5-2) Sunday, following a pair of opening season losses to 3-3 division-leading Alliston (5-0) and Huntsville (3-2).

The Bears host 0-2 Penetang Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. in only the third game of the season for the Kings.

Chippy second period sees Bears captain Aiden MacDonald bloodied.

VIDEO Alex Hogg MuskokaTODAY.com

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