Uxbridge Bruins ride seven-game win streak to second place
Roger Varley
By demolishing the Scarborough Knights 10-1 last Friday and doubling the Little Britain Merchants 4-2 on Saturday, the Uxbridge Bruins extended their winning streak to seven games and placed themselves in second place in the seven-team PJHL Orr Division.
With the arena splashed with pink for breast cancer awareness, the Bruins showed no mercy on the lowly Knights as forward Evan Gilbert led the way with three goals and an assist. Darin Bain opened the scoring on a delayed penalty call at the midway mark of the first period. Goalie Kevin Halloran received an assist, along with Cameron Meek. Less than two minutes later, Tucker Roberts scored on the power play, with Gilbert assisting.
Following that first goal, fans tossed 46 bras onto the ice. They will be donated to the Canadian Cancer Society's Wig and Prosthetic Breast Accessories Program! The North Durham Warriors U12AA stepped up to help with the bra toss pickup. At the start of the game, Darlene Bain, Melissa Goguen and Shannon Smith, all cancer survivors, took part in the ceremonial puck drop.
Early in the second period, Luke Kemp was credited with a goal when a shot by captain Ryan Shier bounced into the net off Kemp's leg. Scarborough scored their only goal of the game on a blast from the blue line, but Jonny Sandras came back just a minute later with his first of two goals. He was assisted by Josh Hall. But the Bruins weren't finished yet. In the last five minutes of the period, Sandras scored his second goal, aided by Aidyn Urbach and Kyle Butt, and Gilbert took a long pass from Urbach that put him in the clear for a goal.
The onslaught continued in the last third four minutes of the game. Devin Hollands, assisted by Kemp and Shier, made it 7-1 and Roberts added an unassisted marker. Then, in the final minute, Gilbert scored again, with Danny Thomakos and Trent Nobes lending a hand, and, with only four seconds left on the clock, Gilbert added another.
The Cosmos named Sandras as the Bruins' player of the game, while giving the nod to Nick Kladis of the Knights.
The following day, the Bruins travelled to Little Britain and came away with a 4-2 victory. Urbach scored the only goal of the first period, assisted by Kemp. The Merchants answered with a goal in the second, but Jordan Fitger regained the lead, with Butt and Wyatt Renaud lending a hand.
Early in the third, Roberts scored what proved to be the winning goal, aided by Shier and Sandras, and Hollands put the game away, assisted by Butt and Hall. The Merchants added one more goal but it was too little too late.
The Bruins return to action at the arena tomorrow (Friday) at 7:45 p.m. when they take on the Schomberg Cougars, followed by a tilt against the LumberJacks in Port Perry on Sunday.