GLACE BAY, N.S. - For the second straight year, the Glace Bay Panthers are the School Sport Nova Scotia Highland Region Division 1 hockey champions.
The Panthers captured the Cape Breton High School Hockey League title with a 4-2 win over the Riverview Ravens in front of a jam-packed crowd at the Miners Forum in Glace Bay on Sunday.
Glace Bay wins the best-of-three series 2-1.
Landon Clark scored twice and added an assist, while Brady Doucette and Tyler Cormier also netted goals for the Panthers.
Noah MacKinnon and Grant Cameron responded with goals for the Ravens.
Glace Bay's Darian MacInnis made 18 saves. Riverview's Patrick Hinchey stopped 23 of 26 shots.
Riverview opened the scoring with Cameron finding the back of the net at 7:31 of the first period, but Glace Bay responded shortly after with Doucette tying the game at 3:13 of the period.
The Ravens took an early lead in the second period with a MacKinnon goal, sending the visitors into the dressing room with the one-goal lead.
In the third period, Cormier's point shot beat a screened Hinchey to tie the game 2-2, before Clark netted the eventual game-winner on a breakaway at the 5:34 mark of the final stanza. He
added an empty net goal late the in the frame.
Panthers head coach Dwayne Doucette said he thought the series could have gone either way, noting both teams in his opinion should be going to the provincial championship.
"We just played with a little more urgency in the third period and most likely just because we were losing for most of the game," said Doucette. "The guys wanted it bad enough in the end and they found another gear to get the win."
Glace Bay had the opportunity to sweep Riverview in Game 2 Saturday afternoon, but the Ravens forced a third-and-deciding game with a 4-1 win at the Cape Breton County Recreation Centre in Coxheath.
The Panthers took Game 1 of the series 5-4 in overtime on March 20.
Glace Bay will now play in the SSNS provincial championship next weekend in Windsor.
GrayJay Sports
