BEARS WILL FACE ORILLIA IN PLAYOFFS THIS WEEK, AFTER BEATING HUNTSVILLE 6-3 THIS AFTEROON AND AVOIDING ALLISTON, WHICH OTTERS WILL GO UP AGAINST

Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com

BRACEBRIDGE — It’ll be the Bears vs. Terriers, and Otters vs. Hornets.

For two hours this afternoon Orillia was the prize up for grabs for both Muskoka and Huntsville in the last PJHL league game of the season for both teams.

But with an exciting and convincing 6-3 win in the end the home team here won the preferred playoff opponent.

And a financially costly one for the Otters who will now have to fork out $3,700 for a bus ride to Alliston rather than the team driving itself to Orillia.

Liam Cardiff celebrates after tying the game 1-1 at 19:08 of the first period as the Bears went on the score four times in the third to beat the Otters. The Bears will now face Orillia in the playoffs starting likely later this week. PHOTOS Mark Clairmont MuskokaTODAY.com

The Bears, meanwhile, wrapped up their second regular season with their 13th victory — more than doubling the six wins they had last season. And finising sixth in the eight-team division standings.

The North Carruthers Division Jr. C playoffs can now begin as early as Wednesday, but scheduling at the Rotary Centre rink in Orillia and the Muskoka Lumber Community Centre in Bracebridge will determine the best-of-seven games’ timing. Both series have to be complet by March 4 as teams will play four rounds of the PJHL finals.

This afternoon with attendance of 510 coming from both towns — and a 50/50 draw worth $612 — all the Muskokans were treated to one of the best games of the season in either town.

Every game should be played like this, the last game of the schedule as both teams pressed off the opening face-off firing five shots the first 90 seconds — 3-2 to the Bears advantage.

In a close close game, the Otters struck first from the left side with Kaidan Szabo beating Kyle Downey on their eighth shot of the game at 8:42.

The Bears ended up outshooting the Otters 45-40.

William Muszynski leaps on Nicholas Cooper after he put the Bears ahead 2-1 in the second period.

But it was the Bears who won the day on four third period goals, two of them short-handed and a pair by William Muszynski — including his empty netter at 18:41 — which now sees Muskoka moving on to Orillia in the playoffs to start no later than this Saturday.

It was close for the first two periods with the teams trading goals and Liam Cardiff evening the score at 19:08 of the opening period.

Nicholas Cooper had the lone power play goal in the second at 12:08 for the Bears.

The Otters only scored twice in the third at  6:52 and 10:18 from William Gavin and Sebastien Gagnon.

In the third it was Tyler Lasitz, shorthanded at 3:45 and Muszynski on the power play at 9:09 with the game winner.

Sam Litt at 14:01 and Muszynski finished off the scoring in the final frame at at 18:41 beating Darian Willis.

Huntsville was hoping to face the Terriers after beating them last week.

But it will be the Bears, who have also played well and won against the Terriers, who will opening in Orillia some time later this week.

Tyler Lasitz is mobbed after he scored at 3:45 in the third to start a goal rush that period for the huge win.
An empty-netter goal by William Muszynski gave the Bears their 13th win of the their second season after only winning six game their first season in the PJHL.

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