Mount Forest Patriots edged out of PJHL playoffs

The Mount Forest Patriots were pushed out of the Provincial Junior Hockey League playoffs when they were edged 2-1 by the Hanover Barons in the seventh and final game of the Pollock Division final.

The win gave Hanover a 4-3 victory in the best-of-seven series.

Five of the seven games were decided by a single goal and an empty-net goal with 33 seconds to go in the match made one of the other two games end with a two-goal margin.

All three goals in Monday’s game were power-play markers and Mount Forest never led.

After a scoreless first period, Alex McGillivray tallied 11:30 into the second.

Mount Forest pulled even with Austin Griffin’s goal 3:44 later.

Drayton Howell struck for the series-winner for Hanover at 7:58 of the third.

Jaxon Gawel assisted on Griffin’s goal.

Kyle Maloney, Patrick Brown and McGillivray each had an assist in the game for Hanover.

The Patriots outshot the Barons 32-26 and went 1-for-4 on their power play while Hanover went 2-for-5.

Marshall Nicholls had 24 saves for Mount Forest and Derek Hartley had 31 for Hanover.

The Patriots went 11-5-0-0 (W-L-OTL-T) in the playoffs after finishing the regular season second in the division with a 32-7-3-0 record. Hanover was first at 36-4-0-2.

Hanover advances to play the Carruthers Division champion Alliston Hornets in the North Conference final.

• Guelph Sports Journal