Gazette staff
PORT HARDY — Curtis Martyn broke free for a shorthanded goal with 3:12 to play Friday night, lifting the Port Hardy Bulls into a 5-5 tie with the Warriors in North Island Commercial Hockey League play at Don Cruickshank Memorial Arena.
Shelby Cockell was in on all five goals for the Warriors (11-6-5), scoring a hat trick and adding two assists for the league-leaders.
The Bulls (9-9-3) actually had the best of the early going, jumping to a 2-0 lead on first-period goals by Barney Wilson and Scott Williams.
But Cole Morton and Cockell responded for the Warriors to force a 2-2 tie at intermission, and the Warriors quickly jumped ahead 3-2 on Cockell's unassisted tally in the opening minute of the second period.
The Warriors never trailed again, though the Bulls answered each time the host club scored to retake the lead.
Martyn drew the Bulls even at 3-3 with his first goal, at 3:39 of the second period. Morton made it 4-3 for the Warriors three minutes later, but Richard Burgess needed less than a minute to find the net for the Bulls and knot the game at 4.
Cockell gave the Warriors their final lead off a Trygg Carlson assist at 7:58.
Jason Saunders manned the goal for the Warriors, while Derek Le Boeuf was in net for the Bulls for the first time since returning from a several-month stay overseas.
Warriors 7, Devils 2
Chad Mackenzie scored a hat trick, including two goals in a four-goal outburst that broke open a close game Saturday in Port Hardy.
The Warriors led just 2-1 at intermission, but opened the second period with four unanswered scores to put it away. Carlson added two goals, Chris Ranger found the net and Cockell had a goal to go with three assists. Saunders got the win in goal.
Kurtis Grant scored both goals for the Ice Devils (11-8-2). The Devils would have leapfrogged the Warriors into the league lead with a victory.
Devils 8, Islanders 3
No scoring information was available from the Devils' win in Port Alice Friday night.