AMHERST, N.S. — While Ben Higgins appeared to spoil the party, Stephen Fox’s goal 2:22 into overtime lifted the Amherst CIBC Wood Gundy Ramblers to 4-3 win over the Truro Bearcats in MHL action at the Amherst Stadium on Monday.
Fox’s game-winner was his sixth goal of the year and came off a deflection of a Alex Wynter shot from the point that Bearcats’ goalie Alec MacDonald never saw.
The goal came after Higgins, a Truro native and former Halifax Mooseheads forward, tied the game with 3:08 to play when his shot from the left of the goal with Spencer Blackwell and G Blackmore adding assists.
Amherst led 1-0 after one period when Robbie Burt scored his sixth of the year stuffing home a loose puck for a short-handed marker, but Ben Fraser scored his first of the season early in the second from Caleb Hart and Matt Gordon.
Max Boudreau restored the Ramblers lead just a minute into the third period from Caleb Rich and Cole Waugh, but Blackmore scored, banking the puck off Rambler goalie Josh Ward, from Curtis Heffernan at 6:50 to knot the game at 2-2.
Burt scored his second goal of the game when he carried the puck wide, took it behind the net and wrapped it around before MacDonald could come across the crease. Brock Bartholomew, returning from an injury, picked up the lone assist.
Ward faced 24 shots to get his first win in goal for Amherst after being acquired last week from the Ottawa Junior Senators.
Amherst improved its record to 9-8-1 for 17 points in the Eastlink South Division, three points up on the fourth place Pictou County Weeks Crushers (8-7-0) and six points back of second-place Yarmouth (11-6-3).
The win was the second in a row for the Ramblers, who overcame a 3-2 deficit after two periods on Saturday to post a 6-3 win over the Valley Wildcats in Berwick on Saturday night.
Caleb Rich had three goals and two assists in the game for Amherst while Cole Waugh had two goals and two assists with Stephen Fox adding a single goal.
Max Boudreau had two assists and Bradley Dawe, Antoni Matte and Cole Darrach added assists.
Joel Goguen recored the win for the Ramblers facing 25 shots.
Robbie Dowell, Riley MacInnis and Carson Gallant scored for the Wildcats.
Amherst dropped a 3-1 win in Yarmouth on Friday night, 48 hours after losing 8-0 to the Mariners.
David Vaysberg and Matt Barron each scored a goal and added an assist for the Mariners while Michael Johson scored once.
Alex Wynter had the lone Amherst goal.
Justin Sumarah earned the win for Yarmouth facing 29 shots while Josh Ward faced 27 shots in goal for Amherst.
The Ramblers return to action on Friday when they host the Pictou County Weeks Crushers at the Amherst Stadium, while on Saturday they travel to Bridgewater to face the South Shore Lumberjacks.
