Patriots hit early to ground Goderich Flyers

MOUNT FOREST – The Mount Forest Patriots struck for the first three goals of the game on their way to a 5-3 victory over the Goderich Flyers in Provincial Junior Hockey League play Saturday night at the Mount Forest and District Sports Complex.

The Patriots netted the lone goal of the first period and added two more goals in the first half of the second period before Goderich cut the gap to a single goal with two goals in the second half of the period. That score stood until the Patriots scored two goals just over two and a half minutes apart in the final seven minutes of the third. The flyers completed the scoring with a power-play goal in the final minute.

Mount Forest Patriots 5 Goderich 3

Jordan Leitch had a hat trick for the Patriots while Hayden Coulter and Caleb Cribbin added single goals. Kirk Gibson assisted on two of the goals while single assists went to Mark Aljoe, Darcy Winkler, Calan Tanzi-Foshay, Carter Ryan, Benjamin Tenhag, Riley Torrie, Kobe Roe and Coulter.

Kyler Patterson, Keegan Greer and Ethan Hill scored the goals for Goderich while Nolan MacKinnon collected two assists and Colton Quipp picked up one.

The Patriots, who were scoreless on six power plays, outshot the Flyers 59-23. Goderich went 2-for-6 on its power play.

With two games to go on their regular-season schedule, the Patriots are in a battle for third in the Pollock Division with the Kincardine Bulldogs. Mount Forest has 35 points, two more than Kincardine.

The Patriots (16-11-1-2) are to play the Walkerton Hawks (5-20-4-1) at Walkerton Friday at 8:20 p.m. and complete their regular season with a home game against Kincardine (15-12-1-2) March 6 at 2 p.m.

Kincardine is to play at Goderich (3-26-0-0) Saturday.

• Guelph Sports Journal