By Chris Clark
ConfederaTE?STAFF

It doesn’t much matter what opponent the Jr. C Patriots face this season. What matters is that they can win, and win big.
On Saturday night in Mount Forest, the Pats humbled their old nemesis the Hanover Barons with a dominant 7-2 victory. A huge five-goal second period effectively lifted the locals into the win column, led by a hat-trick from Nathan Woodard and second period scoring from seven different Patriot players.
The game was rough, as usual, between the two combatants, with second-place Hanover racking up a staggering 80 minutes in penalties over three periods of play. Goaltender Brian Hainsworth collected the win in the Patriot net.
Former Patriot Josh Steffler set up the game’s first goal at 1:42 of the first period, but a 1-0 lead was all the bragging that Hanover could muster in the contest. Seconds later, Woodard drained his first, unassisted, and late in the period struck again on a powerplay goal set up by Zachary Zubac.
Patriot Dave Culliton snared his first of two assists on the night to get the period two juggernaut going, helping out Tony Lindner on a 3-1 tally. Hanover cut the damage to a respectable 3-2, only to see the Patriot scoring machine kick into high gear.
Midway through the frame Tom Collins scored one from Troy Hill and Brad Larkin, and Dean Nixon increased the lead to 5-2 with an unassisted goal. Woodard inked the hat-trick with a shorthanded tally assisted by Culliton, and Hill wrapped up the 7-2 rout on the powerplay, with help from linemates Collins and Nixon.
In earlier action, the Patriots were silenced 6-0 in a lucklustre effort against Kincardine last week, and battled the Walkerton Hawks to a 5-2 final that seemed far closer before the first-place birds iced the game with a last second empty net goal.
Hill started the scoring in the first period on a play from Collins, and Walkerton led only 2-1 after 40 minutes of play. Tevin Sallans rounded out the Mount Forest scoring as he tied the score 2-2, but Walkerton managed another pair prior to the empty-netter. Larkin and Luke Richardson were credited with assists on the Sallans goal.
The Patriots are still only one win behind the Kincardine Bulldogs for fifth place in the Western loop. With only five games remaining in the regular season schedule, they return to face the Barons on Friday in Hanover, and host the Mitchell Hawks this Saturday at 8:30.