February 27, 2026

BEARS BOW OUT, AS TERRIERS TAKE PJHL NORTH DIVISION PLAYOFF SERIES 4-0 WITH 7-2 WIN IN RAMA

RAMA — The end of the road for the Bears last night was on the road.

A depleted line-up and three power-play goals halted their playoff run against Orillia who took the series 4-0.

The Terriers proved too strong in the end for the Muskoka team in their 7-2 win at Rama.

The Bears had their chances coming out of the first period tied 2-2. But the Terriers scored four times in the second, including three power-play goals, as Muskoka captain Aiden MacDonald looks for his chance to beat Wilson Mackey in that middle frame. PHOTOS Mark Clairmont MuskokaTODAY.com

Not a surprise for a third-place team against a sixth-place team with hope.

Orillia topped the Carruthers Division last season and went the distance before losing out in the quarter-finals of the Schmalz Cup.

Despite a much improved second season (6 to 13 wins) the Bears were swept again with only two playoff home dates the same as last year.

With five on the ice Thursday and only seven on the bench (five fewer than Orillia) — due to exams, at least one injury and a suspension — the Rama visitors were winded and with nothing more to give their goalie Kyle Downey in defence.

After facing 75 shots the night before, an achy Downey only got out of bed six hours before the 8 p.m. puck drop.

Lucky for him the Mnjikaning scoreboard didn’t show the running total shot-count this night, which had him still on the losing end of a 45-30 shot deficit; still 30 fewer than 24 hours before and also 7 more for the Bears in the back-to-back battles.

**Muskoka pressed hard at times, but with five players on the ice and only seven on the bench, they ran out of gas in the last game of their season played at the MASK rink in Rama Thursday night.**

Penalties, always a Bears problem, cost them dearly as they were called off nine times.

The Terriers were more disciplined giving up just one second period interference penalty, before Orillia’s Max Schryer and Muskoka’s William Muszynski squared off with 1:50 to go in the game. Each receiving 10-minute misconducts.

For the Bear’s best player of late, that’s how Muszynski ended his season.

That after he scored his team’s second goal at 18:10 of the first to tie the game.

Orillia opened the scoring at 7:10 with Bennett Mackey in all alone in front easily deking out a tired-looking Downey.

Sam Litt replied for the Bears at 11:03 on a similar deke in front of the Orillia net on goalie Wilson Mackey.

But the Terriers responded 10 seconds later at 11:14 when Joey McFarland beat Downey.

A 2-2 tie after the first.

Then the Terriers turned on the juice with four goals — three with the Bears in the sin bin: captain Lleyton McLean just 19 seconds in to the middle frame, followed 26 seconds later at the 45-second mark, Logan Jackson at 2:56 and McLean again at 14:52. Jace Schaly had their third and final goal of the game at 3:48 of the third.

That’s when the bad blood between the teams became more evident with more pushing and shoving the referees put up with as the game wound down.

Until Muszynski and Schryer finally squared off.

Which ultimately led to both teams leaving the ice without customarily shaking hands.

Attendance at the Mnjikaning Arena Sports Ki (MASK) was 305.

Notes:

Terriers’ Evan Gliddon, of Gravenhurst, was named top defenceman of the year for the Carruthers Division.
And Huntsville (down 2-0) is in Alliston Friday night.