The Bracebridge MCS major midget Bears jumped out to a two-game lead in their OMHA semifinal series with wins of 4-0 and 3-1 over the weekend.

The Port Perry Predators entered the series undefeated in the playoffs, having won two series in three straight games. The Bracebridge squad, on the other hand, had fought through three series in a total of 15 games.

The scheduled first game, a home contest for Bracebridge Friday, was cancelled at the request of Port Perry due to the snowstorm. Instead, the series began in the Port Perry Doublerinks on Saturday evening.

Cory Grimmett got the Bears off to a fast start, scoring a power-play marker from Scott Cleator and Graham Yeo. Later in the first period, Cleator scored another power-play goal, on assists from Yeo and goalie Jacob Schandlen. Chris Moryto made it 3-0, with help from Jason Hiley and yes, Schandlen again.

The Preds spent a good deal of the game in the sin bin, and were killing a penalty when they pulled their goalie near the end of the game. Defenceman Trent Bos, playing terrific hockey throughout the playoffs, fired the fourth Bracebridge goal into the vacant net just before the game ended, giving Schandlen a shutout in addition to two assists.

The Bears’ cheering section, bolstered by the presence of several expatriate Bracebridge residents now living near Port Perry, left the rink buoyed by the key road victory.

Sunday morning, Bears hockey parent and chief advance scout Tim Oliver encountered several sage hockey observers at a Bracebridge coffee shop, and the talk quickly centred on Schandlen’s two-assist performance in Port Perry.

Oliver challenged his grizzled tablemates if they’d ever heard of a goalie accomplishing a shutout and two assists in one hockey game.

“He didn’t get many shutouts,” offered one old-timer, “but I hear tell that Ace Bailey got four assists one game when he was a goaler for the Bracebridge juniors.” He was, of course speaking about Irvine “Ace” Bailey, the legendary NHL forward who was born in Bracebridge and played goal and defence on local teams before starring as a right winger with the Leafs.

Sunday the series returned to Bracebridge. The hard-hitting Predators were better in game two, but Bracebridge still dominated the first period territorially yet could not score. Bos finally broke the logjam in the second with a spectacular goal, taking a nice pass from big Derek Janssen and tipping the puck in as he flew over the crowded goal crease.

Janssen later fed Alex Yard at the point for a drive that deflected into the Port Perry cage off Hiley’s foot for a 2-0 lead.

The visitors made it close for a while in the third, but Janssen took a faceoff in the final seconds and sent the draw into the empty Port Perry net for the 3-1 final tally. Schandlen again drew loud cheers from the several hundred Bracebridge fans in attendance with his gritty goaltending.

The Bears continue the series at home Friday at 8 p.m.