Thrills as Pirates split with Trent Hills, Amherstview

Story and photos by Jason Parks
Should the Picton Pirates and the Amherstview Jets lock up for a second straight postseason, the series promises to be a thrill-a-minute. After the Bucs picked up a 4-2 win on Thursday against the visiting Trent Hills Thunder, the Pirates and the Jets hooked up for the third time in as many weeks on Sunday in Amherstview.

The Jets took the contest 4-2 but the game was another chapter of the brand of tooth-and-nail hockey these two teams have been playing since Picton came back to bounce the Jets in seven games in the 2026 PJHL postseason.

The split moved Picton’s record to 7-7-2, good enough for 5th place in the Tod Division, two points back of fourth place Napanee.

On Thursday, the Pirates got off to the start they wanted thanks to a familiar face. Off the opening faceoff, Ben Smith found Jonny Bonter in the high slot and the former Pirate who returned to the Quinte Red Devils this season and was in the lineup as an affiliated player potted his first of the season just seven seconds into the game.

Trent Hills was quick to respond. Exactly two minutes after Bonter broke the ice, former Amherstview Jet Matt Hinan beat Picton starter Cohen Bedore to the blocker side to make it 1-1.

In the Thunder net, Logan Vale was once again his rock solid self and made several clutch stops to keep the contest knotted at 1-1.

Picton’s Ty Mulder had a goal and an assist in his club’s 4-2 over Trent Hills Thursday.

Picton finally regained their lead in the late going of the first. Ty Mulder air mailed a smart lead pass to Joey Coates who broke in alone on Vale.

Coates put on a shake-and-bake move to get Vale moving right to left and slipped the puck fivehole to make it 2-1.

Picton had the only goal of the second and it stood as the eventual game winner.

Bonter and Smith put in some solid work below the goal line before Smith found Kirk Stevenson near the left face off dot. The Trenton native got enough mustard on his volley to slip it past Vale with less than two minutes left in the middle stanza. Stevenson’s 6th of the season made it 3-1.

Bedore was very good in the third as the players in front of him beat a steady path to the sin bin. Picton was dealing with a 5-on-3 penalty kill early in the frame and Trent Hills appeared to score to get the Thunder to within one but the tally was immediately washed out due to goaltender interference.

Trent Hills lifted Vale in the late going for an extra attacker and the move initially paid off for the Thunder.

Jack Andrews potted his second of the season with just under three minutes left to bring some drama to the finish but any hopes of a Trent Hills comeback was dashed when fired his fifth of the season into a gaping Thunder net to make the final 4-2.

Picton goaltender Cohen Bedore stretches out to make one of his 35 saves Thursday night.

In Amherstview, the Pirates could never quite get ahead of the Jets.

After Brad Wilson opened the scoring for the hosts on the power play with 3:57 left in the first, Picton responded just under 90 seconds later with a sensational effort by Captain Gerrit Kempers.

The Ameliasburgh native picked up a Coates dish at his own blue line, undressed a Jets defender in the high slot and popped goaltender Tyson Wilcox’s water bottle off the net to make it 1-1.

The same sequence played itself out in the second.

After Carter McKee pushed the Jets ahead at 12:09, it was Kempers with an answer at the 7:47 mark.

Enjoying a power play, Coates delivered the puck to the goal mouth where Kempers deflected it over the goal, tying the game at 2-2.

The teams seemed to be destined to head to the third tied but a faux pas below the goal line by Bedore put the puck on the stick of former Pirate Gavin Wallace. Wallace had a 4’ by 6’ net to shoot at and didn’t miss, putting the Jets up 3-2.

With just over a minute left and Bedore on the bench for an extra attacker, the Pirates delivered the puck to the slot but Coates was tied up at the last second, denying Picton’s leading scorer a chance to tie the game.

The contest ended with McKee’s second of the night into an empty net, making the final 4-2.

The Pirates are back in action at home on Thursday when they host Port Hope. The following evening, Picton travels to Napanee for a four point game against the Raiders.

On Monday, the Pirates are off to Frankford for a rare week night game against the Huskies.