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Rally gives Devils 5-5 tie

PORT McNEILL — Ryan Rushton capped an end-to-end rush with a goal off the facemask of opposing goalie Adam Hall with 1:46 to play Sunday as the Port McNeill Ice Devils salvaged a 5-5 tie with the Neucel Islanders in Commercial Hockey League play at Chilton Regional Arena.
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Ice Devils defenseman Glenn Moore

PORT McNEILL — Ryan Rushton capped an end-to-end rush with a goal off the facemask of opposing goalie Adam Hall with 1:46 to play Sunday as the Port McNeill Ice Devils salvaged a 5-5 tie with the Neucel Islanders in Commercial Hockey League play at Chilton Regional Arena.

The Islanders of Port Alice had jumped ahead 5-3 with a four-goal outburst in the final period. But Shay Peterson’s point-blank rebound goal with 2:22 remaining drew the Devils within a goal, and Rushton’s rush earned the hosts a point in the league standings.

In other league games last weekend, the Port Hardy Warriors topped the Islanders 5-2 Friday in Port Alice, and the surging Devils edged the Port Hardy Bulls 7-6 Friday in Port Hardy.

In Sunday’s game, the Devils’ Shane Murdoch and the Islanders’ Dave Stewart traded goals as the teams skated to a first-period draw.

After Peterson gave the Devils (6-6-2) a 2-1 lead on a rebound score early in the second period, the Islanders erupted with three goals — two of them from Russell Murray — in a span of 1:43 to grab a 4-2 edge.

Murdoch trimmed the lead with his second goal of the game at 9:38 of the final period, but the Islanders answered with Stewart’s one-timer off a nifty crossing pass from Mike Schofield.

Schofield also scored for the Islanders (4-7-2). Bob Wells was in goal for the Devils.

Warriors 5, Islanders 2

Five different players scored as the Warriors (7-5-3) pulled away from a 2-2 intermission tie and regained the league lead.

Shelby Cockell, Cole Morton, Trygg Carlson, Quinn Mellow and Barclay Burroughs each found the net in the win, with Mellow adding two assists. Jason Saunders got the win in goal.

Bruce Murray scored both goals for the Islanders, with assists going to Stewart and Jason Roper.

Devils 7, Bulls 6

In Port Hardy, Friday, the Devils crafted a 7-3 lead and then hung on down the stretch to knock the Bulls (7-6-1) from a share of the league lead.

Bill Rushton and Murdoch scored two goals each and Glenn Moore and Kurtis Grant added singles to give Wells a cushion.

Barney Wilson scored twice and Scott Williams had a goal and three assists for the Bulls. Chad Mackenzie, Shawn Patterson and Richard Burgess also scored for the Bulls, who pulled to 7-6 with 3:13 left. Tyler Fuller took the loss in goal.