Two furious fast-paced games see wins for Bulldogs and Pens | NSJHL

Two furious fast-paced games see wins for Bulldogs and Pens

Posted on November 3, 2025 (Updated January 25, 2026)

By Dan Boyd

Two furious fast-paced games see wins for Bulldogs and Pens

It remains exceptionally unpredictable as to who will win on any given night in the Nova Scotia Junior Hockey League. Take Sunday Nov 2 for example where the South Shore Lumberjacks bounced back from a thrashing by the Colts Saturday night at home in Bridgewater to defeat the Pictou County Scotians 6-4 in Trenton. The Lumberjacks are now 10-1-1 on the season but still one point behind the first place East Hants Penguins in the Fred Fox Division.

In Pictou Sunday night, the Lumberjacks Brennan Coleman scored the game’s opening two goals and the South Shore went on from there to a 6-4 win. The Lumberjacks went up 6-2 after forty minutes on a pair of goals from Kyle MacIntyre and single markers by Owen Cleary and Nate Person. Wyatt Spence scored the Scotians second goal before the second had concluded.

In the third, the Lumberjacks failed to score but only allowed Pictou a pair of goals from Camdyn Burgess and Nate Supryka and the Lumberjacks settled for their 6-4 win. The South Shore outshot Pictou 40-34. The Scotians with the loss fell into third place with a record of 6-7-0 for 13 points, one back of second place Anigonish and two up on fourth place Port Hawkesbury. Elsewhere Sunday:

Antigonish 7 Port Hawkesbury 1

Antigonish Head Coach Ryan Clayo said different people have asked him if this is a re-building year for the three-time consecutive Atlantic and Maritime Junior Champions after their 6-3-1 start to the 25-26 Nova Scotia Junior Hockey League Season. His answer, “Not at all.” He continued by saying, “no doubt there have been questions about our early start and what, if any changes, the new staff might have but he said, “our whole team is beginning to pull it self together collectively despite not doing so in our first few season opening games when we struggled to put wins together.” He concluded saying, “we have regained that momentum and our whole team is playing collectively and working exceptionally hard.”

No better example existed Sunday night at home as the Jr. Bulldogs fell behind 1-0 early to the Port Hawkesbury Strait Pirates only to bounce back with seven consecutive goals fo a 7-1 win. The game featured segments of outstanding goaltending with the Bulldogs outshooting the Strait 52-24. Will Normandeau scored three times for the Bulldogs including one on a shot from the point that made it’s way behind the Strait nets. Owen Flemming scored once and had a pair of assists and Flemming’s goal came with a great rush down the ice and his quick shot put Antigonish up 4-1. Normandeau’s second goal of the night made it 5-1 after he had just missed an excellent opportunity taking a back-handed shot on a rebound he created with his original shot. With only 9:07 to play, Normandeau’s third goal of the game made it 6-1 Antigonish.

In the second period Cohan Hickey of the Strait hit the Bulldogs # 8 Kellen Fuller with like the hardest check of the night directly in front of the Strait net. Other Bulldog goal scorers were Luc Legere with a power-lay marker, Owen Juurlink and Gavin Clarke. Liam McGilp was kept on his feet the entire night as the Bulldogs outshot the Strait 2-1 or 52-26. Ethan Chisholm stopped 25 of 26 in the Bulldog nets. Despite the 8 goals, this was a fast-paced furious skating game that was played in 1 hour and 49 minutes.

East Hants 5 Eskasoni 1

Likewise in Eskasoni Sunday afternoon as the League’s two first place teams collided and played their game in 2 hours and 6 minutes. The Penguins took leads of 1-0 and 2-0 after the opening two periods before connecting for three in he third period. The teams were tied 28-28 in shots in a game that from the opening face-off saw nothing but drive, hard skating and plenty of hustle with lots of solid hits. Eskasoni opened the game with very aggressive play in the opening five minutes with both teams skating like there was no tomorrow.

Finley Diab put the Pens ahead 1-0 after the opening period and Nick Morin made it 2-0 East Hants after forty minutes. Rory Mills of the Jr. Eagles was stopped directly in front on a great save by Fintan Boudreau in the Pen nets. Morin of the Pens was robbed blind in front of the Jr. Eagles net while the Pens were on the power-play. Morin was foiled also on a breakaway attempt. Sam Gracie of the Jr. Eagles set up Rory Mills as they streaked in alone on Boudreau but failed to get the puck past him.

Matthew Burke also had a solid shot on net for the Jr. Eagles.At one point the Eskasoni defence collided and Nick Morin went in alone only to see his shot go over the net. Eskasoni’s Arlen Denny was stopped stone cold by Boudreau during a period of time in the game when there was plenty o body contact.

East Hants went up 3-0 as the Penguins maintained a relentless attack on the Jr. Eagles and Nik Xidos made it 3-0. Sam Gracie finally put the Jr. Eagles on the board in the third period before Jake O’Connor and aiden Nicholson concluded the afternoon scoring giving the Penguins a 5-1 win.

Two furious fast-paced games see wins for Bulldogs and Pens

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