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Mustangs top Islanders

Port McNeill Mustangs skated to an 8-5 win over the host Neucel Islanders in men’s commercial hockey last weekend.
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The Mustangs’ John Murgatroyd (19) fires a shot at Islanders goalie Adam Hall Friday in Port Alice.

PORT ALICE—Four straight goals over the final 15 minutes turned a see-saw game into a runaway as the Port McNeill Mustangs skated off with an 8-5 win over the host Neucel Islanders in men’s commercial hockey league play at Doug Bondue Arena.

Chris Dutcyvich posted a hat trick — including the final two insurance goals — as the Mustangs rallied from behind in the second period. Until the late flurry, neither team had scored more than two consecutive goals or led by more than one in the high-scoring matchup.

Graham McKay’s wrist shot from the circle at 4:23 of the final period had given the host Islanders their fourth and final lead at 5-4.

But Marty Gage converted a point-blank rebound of Glenn Moore’s point shot on the power play to tie it at 5:24, and John Murgatroyd followed with the game-winner from the left circle at 6:11.

Mustangs goalie Bob Wells, touched for five goals in the first 25 minutes, was impervious the rest of the way to get the win in net.

Gage finished with two goals, Tom Cessford added a goal and Al Rushton had a goal and chipped in three assists as the Mustangs avenged a 4-3 loss to the Islanders in their last visit to Port Alice, just before Christmas.

Eric Kennelly notched a pair of goals and Carter McKay and Jason Hodson each found the net for the host club.

With the teams tied 3-3, the Islanders’ Bruce Murray fired a shot from the right wing that caromed off the boards behind the net and landed on the stick of Hodson, who easily chipped it into the open net behind Wells for a 4-3 edge just 30 seconds after puck drop.

Two minutes later, the Mustangs drew even again when Cessford converted after Murgatroyd sent a pass from behind the net to Gage in the left circle and Gage promptly put it on Cessford’s tape at the far post.

The game was the only one in league play on the weekend. A meeting of the crosstown rival Bulls and Warriors in Port Hardy was deferred in favour of the Port Hardy Minor League bantam tournament Friday.