Whalers keep winning ways in playoff-opening series

FERGUS – The Fergus Whalers struck for four goals in the third period as they dropped the Walkerton Capitals 6-2 in Provincial Junior Hockey League playoff action Sunday at the Centre Wellington Community Sportsplex.

The win gives Fergus a stranglehold 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven Pollock Division quarter-final.

The Whalers never trailed in the game as they were ahead 2-0 at the end of the first period and 2-1 after the second. The hosts scored early in the third, but Walkerton closed the gap back to a single goal 55 seconds later.

The score remained at the one-goal difference until Fergus scored three times in the final 10:19 of the game, two of the goals being power-play markers.

Ty Anselmini tallied twice for the Whalers while single goals were registered by Jacob Lesser, Tyler Ewald, Jack McDonald and Joshua Russell. Jett Morningstar, Kyle Parsons, Henry Turner and Zach Nault each had two assists while Boden Brimmell, Lesser and Ewald had one apiece.

Nate Binkley and Graham Gateman scored the goals for Walkerton while Aiden Stanley, Ethan Kerr, Wyatt McNabb and Malcolm MacDonald gathered one assist apiece.

The Whalers outshot Walkerton 64-45 and went 2-for-8 while the Capitals were scoreless on four power plays.

Bradley Boville had 43 saves for Fergus and Vance Meyer had 58 for Walkerton.

Fourth game of the series is set for Wednesday at the Walkerton Community Centre. Game time is 8 p.m.

If Walkerton wins that game, the fifth game is to be played Friday in Fergus starting at 8:30 p.m.

• Guelph Sports Journal