The Digby hockey Mariners put on a big show for their last home game before Christmas.
They tripled the Middleton Monarchs 9-3 Sunday, Dec. 16.
The Monarchs only brought 11 players—not even two lines of skaters. With that few players they’d have to score early if they were to have any chance.
It was fast end-to-end hockey for most of the first and the Monarchs kept Bryceon Wade busy in the Digby net. Half way through the first, Emerson Coulter with an assist from Calvin Gough, snuck one through Wade’s pads to open the scoring.
Near the end of the first, Devin Hubley evened it up. He deked one defender then put the puck backhand over the goalies glove hand. Assisting on the play were Jajie Alaku and Ryan Milbury.
Myles Creighton set up the second goal with a big push down the right boards, a sharp cut across the goal and a hard shot on the goalie’s pads—Ryan Connell was there to bang in the rebound and put Digby ahead to end the first.
The second period was pretty much all Digby. Brad Melanson, Chris Demaine, Noah Thomas and Tanner Robinson all scored for Digby.
O’Neil assisted Melanson, Bradley O’Neil assisted Demaine, Hubley helped Thomas steal the puck right in front of the Middleton net, and Melanson sent Robinson on a breakaway for his goal.
It looked like Digby would end the second up by five but with 17 seconds left in the period, Gough set up Coulter again; 6-2 at the end of 40 minutes.
Creighton was called for holding at the beginning of the third and the Monarchs made the power play count. Gough went it alone for Middleton’s last goal of the game.
Demaine, set up by Robinson and Thomas, answered with a power play goal of his own a minute later, his second goal of the game.
Hubley made a huge deke in the corner and from behind the net laid a sweet pass out front to Robinson for Digby’s eighth.
Robinson set up the ninth rushing down the right side and dropping the puck back for Creighton in the slot. The Digby captain faked left but flicked the puck across near side and over the Middleton goalie.
Robinson, back from a lengthy suspension, stayed out of trouble altogether and led the Mariners with two goals and two assists. Hubley had a goal and two assists, Demaine had two goals and Creighton had a goal and an assist.
The Mariner’s play next in Windsor on Friday, Dec. 21, they’re home again on Friday Dec. 28 for the Alumni game at 6 p.m.
And they host the Bridgewater Vikings at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 30.
jriley@digbycourier.ca
