Miramichi Sports: T-Wolves Go for Five Straight Wins

MIRAMICHI - The Miramichi Timberwolves are hoping to keep the good times rolling this weekend. After back-to-back come from behind wins, the Cardiac Kids host the Metro Shipbuilders Saturday night at the Miramichi Civic Centre.

Game time is 7:30 p.m.

The T-Wolves go into Saturday’s game sitting third in the Maritime Junior Hockey League’s Meek Division with a 9-6-1-0 record. The team has gone 7-2-1-0 in their last 10 games, have won four straight and picked up points in five straight.

The T-Wolves have had to work hard to stay on their current path. Last Saturday night it took two late goals to forced overtime and a shootout to beat the Pictou County Weeks Crushers 3-2 after Miramichi trailed 2-0 for most of the game at home.

Tuesday the T-Wolves found themselves down 5-1 at one point in the first period, before clawing their way back to a 7-5 win over the Shipbuilders at the Dartmouth Sportsplex. Saturday’s game is the back end of a home-and-home series with Metro.

The team’s efforts have drawn praise from Head Coach Rob MacDonald who said “These Kids never quit. They worked hard. The team is going in the right direction.”

It’s a big turn-around from last season. The T-Wolves began the 2011-12 campaign in rebuilding mode with a new head coach and young team that managed just 12 wins and finished last overall in the league.

Team officials preached patience last years, and that appears to be paying off so far in the 2012-13 campaign.

Part of the reason for the team’s recent success has been point production from key members of the roster including one of Miramichi’s own.

When Bill Gaston joined the team last season it was with a lot of promise, but also a lot to learn. He picked up 17 points in 40 games during his rookie outing. In 16 games so far this season he leads the team in goals with 11 and in points with 19 – already two points better than all of last season.

Not far behind is Alex Scully, from just down the road in Rexton. He has 18 points for second on the team while the top five in scoring is rounded out by Danny Wicks with 17 points, former Miramichi Riverman Rankyn Campbell with 16 points and Justin O’Reilly with 13 points.

Being as Saturday’s game is a day before Remembrance Day, the T-Wolves will be honouring our veterans during a pre-game ceremony. Fans are asked to wear their poppies to the game to show their support.