The Port Perry MoJacks were missing four of their regulars on Sunday afternoon versus North Durham rival Uxbridge, and the impact was obvious.  Coupled with a spirited effort by the Bruins, the result was a 3-2 overtime loss for the MoJacks, who now trail Lakefield by seven points atop the Orr Division.

The Bruins, (12-21-1), had dropped seven in a row before Sunday’s game, but that fact was not evident on the ice as Uxbridge was ready to skate with the MoJacks from the opening faceoff.  Both teams played a heavy, physical and tight checking game in the first period, and there were doughnuts on the board as a result.

The Bruins seized the early momentum in the second, and Brett Chandler was solely responsible for stemming the tide, making a couple of fantastic stops.  His team rewarded him at the 5:28 mark when Luke Wyatt dug the puck out of the corner after a hard working shift and threw it back to the point.  Adam Turner walked into a blast as Konrad Piorkowski sifted to the goalmouth.  The Jacks second leading scorer was able to get a stick on it to deflect it by Jake Joosten, and his 17th goal of the campaign finally got the Jacks rolling.

The goal didn’t faze Uxbridge though, who continued to bring the pressure.  Less than a minute and a half later, Simon Feig scored his first of two on the afternoon to draw his Bruins even.  The Ajax native now has 9 goals and 10 helpers for 19 points on the season, good for fifth in team scoring.

With Mitchell Gustavsen and Graham Lamers out of the line up with suspensions, and Toby Cooper and Liam Schweda sidelined by injuries, the MoJacks power play suffered significantly.  They did not manage any goals with seven opportunities, and in fact, during a four minute man advantage which fell mostly during the start of the third period, the Bruins had the best scoring chance while shorthanded.

To add insult to injury, with Tyler Hutchinson in the box for tripping, it was the Bruins power play that capitalized.  After Uxbridge worked the puck around with efficiency, Wes Cowie launched one from the point with traffic in front.  It’s doubtful Chandler ever saw it through the crowd, and the Bruins had the lead with 11:30 to play.

But the Bruins, unaccustomed to protecting leads of late, went into a defensive shell, and the MoJacks turned up the heat.  Joosten made several big stops down the stretch, and with a minute to play, his team was clinging to the lead.

Uxbridge made the mistake of icing the puck twice in a row with Chandler on the bench, and the MoJacks made them pay.  Newly signed Luke Wyatt made his presence felt once again when he poked in a loose puck after a big scrum in front of Joosten to tie the game with 21 seconds left.  Offensive zone faceoffs were the key in the final minute, as the Jacks were able to keep the pressure on by maintaining control.

Both teams had several chances to score during the 3-on-3 overtime period.  Feig’s second goal of the game proved to be the overtime winner at the 4:16 mark with a well placed shot, and the Bruins skated off the ice victorious.  Jason Simmonds collected his second assist of the day on Feig’s game winner.

Of note, the Scugog Fire Department were welcomed as special guests to Sunday’s game.  Both Gustavsen and Lamers will miss Wednesday night’s home game versus Clarington, and will return to the line up Friday in Georgina.  Cooper continues to skate at practice, and both he and the coaching staff are hoping for a return just before the playoffs in early February.  Game time Wednesday is 7:25 PM.