Team captain Jeremey Nicholas scored four goals as the Southern Shore Puglisevich Breakers downed the Conception Bay Blues 6-2 Friday night, a win that puts the Breakers in Newfoundland senior hockey’s Eastern division final.
Southern Shore took the opening-round series in a full seven games. That means the Breakers will face the defending Herder Memorial Trophy provincial champion Clarenville Ford Caribous in another best-of-seven series beginning Sunday evening at the Eastlink Events Centre in Clarenville.
Friday, before a big crowd at the C.B.S. Arena, the Blues owned a 2-1 lead midway through the contest courtesy of two second-period goals by Kyle Tibbo, but Nicholas tied it with his second of the night and Matthew Oates scored on a power play before the middle frame was done, giving the visiting Breakers a lead they would not relinquish.
Blake Dalton had Southern Shore’s other goal.
Nicholas, whose fourth tally was an empty-netter, also had an assist for a five-point night. Oates added two assists, while Keenan Kennedy had three helpers for the winners.
Kris Hodge assisted on both of Tibbo’s goals for the Blues.
The Breakers-Caribous matchup gets underway 6 p.m. Sunday in Clarenville, with Game 2 at the Southern Shore Arena on Wednesday.
The winner of the series will advance to meet either the Grand Falls-Windsor Cataracts or Gander Kelly Ford Flyers in the Herder final.
The Cataracts lead the best-of-seven Central division final 3-2 heading into Game 6 tonight (7:30 p.m.) at Joe Byrne Memorial Stadium in Grand Falls-Windsor. The Flyers stayed alive with a 4-3 home-ice victory Friday in a game that saw Gander build up a 3-0 lead in the first period.
If there is to be a Game 7 in that one, it will be played 1 p.m. Sunday at the Steele Community Centre in Gander.
