AMHERST – Gordon Mitchell had two goals and Michael Patterson, Joel St. Peters and Ryan Ackles each had a pair of assists as the Amherst Regional High School Vikings staved off elimination with a 6-3 win over the Eastern Shore Schooners in NSSAF Division 2 high school hockey playoff action here last night.
The Vikings scored four times in a penalty-filled second period to break a 1-1 tie before adding a sixth goal in the third period after Eastern Shore pulled to within two.
The series is now tied 1-1 with the third and deciding game back in Musquodoboit Valley after the March Break.
The game saw 180 minutes and penalties called.
Corey Hunter opened the scoring for Amherst late in the first with a slapshot along the ice from the point, but Cole Gilbert tied it late in the period when his wrist shot from the circle somehow got through Vikings’ goalie Connor Hoeg.
Mitchell scored his first of two on the night midway through the second tipping Joel Boyle’s point shot past the Schooners’ goalie for a power play marker.
Matthew Beal, Stephen Belyea and Patterson scored before the period ended to give Amherst a 5-1 lead after two before Matt Kent scored twice in the third to pull the Schooners to within a goal.
Hoeg then made a goal line stop to maintain the two-goal cushion.
Mitchell rounded out the scoring with 35 seconds to play on the power play.
Ryan Hunter and Belyea each added single assists for Amherst.
Twitter: @ADNdarrell
