Rivermen draw first blood in N.B. final
Published Tuesday March 9th, 2010
The Miramichi Rivermen have drawn first blood in the provincial midget AAA hockey final.
The pennant-winning Rivermen used home ice to their advantage Monday night, defeating the Moncton Flyers 4-1 to take a 2-0 edge in the first-to-eight-points.
Game 2 is Wednesday night in Moncton with Game 3 back in Miramichi on Friday.
After a scorless first period, the Rivermen took control with Cole MacDonald scoring a pair of goals in the middle frame. Phillipe Arsenault added a pair of third-period tallies for the Rivermen, who outshot Moncton 34-30. Alex Scully had three assists for the winners.
Rejean Martin scored the lone Flyers goal on a pass from Matt LeBlanc and Justin McDonald.
Julien Daigle made 29 shots to post the goaltending win while Brandon Thibeau made 30 saves for the Flyers.
Minor midget AAA
Fredericton A.L. Gullison Kleenup Caps are the top seed heading into the four-team provincial minor midget AAA hockey tournament scheduled for Cocagne and Boutouche Thursday through Sunday.
The Caps won their final five games of the regular season to finish with 41 points on a 19-8-3 log, five points up on second place Moncton Hawks. Third were the Saint John Phantoms with 24 points followed by West Kent Aces with 20 points.
The Aces play the Phantoms in the tourney's first game Thursday at 5:15 followed by the Caps taking on Moncton at 7:45 at the Cocagne Arena.
On Friday, Moncton plays West Kent at noon with Saint John playing the Caps at 2:30, with both games at Cocagne Arena. The league awards banquet is slated for the Cocagne Marina beginning at 6:30.
Two games are scheduled for Saturday morning at 9 a.m. with West Kent playing the Caps at the Cocagne Arena and Saint John playing Moncton at the Boutouche Forum. The second and third place finishers meet in Saturday's semifinal game at 6:15 at Cocagne Arena.
The semifinal winner takes on the round-robin winner in Sunday's final beginning 1:45 at the Cocagne Arena. Provincial winner advances to the Atlantic championship scheduled for Summerside, P.E.I. March 18-21.
High school girls
Leo Hayes High McKinley Builders Lady Lions wrapped up their west conference semifinal girls AAA high school hockey semifinal against Woodstock High Thunder in straight games, winning Saturday 12-2 at Willie O'Ree Place and Sunday 8-2 in Woodstock.
Jillian Ward and Sam Bujold each had three goals for the Lady Lions in the Saturday romp with Karrie Gorman adding a pair of goals. Singles were by Lindsey Seymour, Brittany Price, Karley Barton and Jessica Glynn. Price added three assists while Gorman and Jamiee Cornford each added a pair of helpers.
Sierra Paul had both goals for Woodstock.
Sunday, it was Bujold scoring four times and adding an assist to pace the Lady Lions attack. Singles were by Barton, Ward, Berni Williams and Laura Wood. Alyssa McLean and Tasha Dickinson scored the goals for Woodstock.
High school boys
Leo Hayes High DQ Lions and Fredericton High Black Kats lead their respective best-of-five west conference semifinal series heading into action this week.
The Lions lead Cite des Jeunes Republicans of Edmundston 1-0 with Game 2 scheduled for St. Basile on Thursday night. Game 3 is back at Willie O'Ree Place Friday night at 7:30. The Lions were 6-0 winners in Game 1 on Saturday.
The Kats have a 2-0 stranglehold on their series against Thomas Albert Elite of Grand Falls with Game 3 scheduled for the LBR Friday night beginning at 7:30. The Kats haven't allowed a goal in winning 10-0 and 9-0 in the first two games. If a fourth game is necessary, it'll be played Sunday night in Grand Falls.
The two winners advance to the south-west regional tournament also involving the top two seeds out of Saint John March 19-21 in the port city. Top two teams from the regional advance to the Final 4 scheduled for Miramichi on March 26-28. FHS is defending provincial champion, having defeated Leo Hayes in the championship final.
AUS men's final
St. Francis Xavier X-Men will be looking for revenge when they host Saint Mary's Huskies in Game 2 of the Atlantic University Sport men's hockey conference final tonight in Antigonish, N.S.
The Huskies drew first blood in the best-of-five series with a 7-1 hammering of the X-Men Sunday night in Halifax, getting three goals courtesy of Colby Pridham and two goals and an assist from ex-NHLer Mike Danton.
They also figured out a way to score against Bryan Gillis, who stymied top-seed University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds in sweeping their best-of-five semifinal round in three straight games, all by 3-2 scores. Gillis starred in each of those games.
Game 3 is scheduled for the Halifax Forum on Monday, March 15 with Game 4 back in Antigonish on Wednesday, March 17. A fifth and deciding game would be played on Friday, March 19 in Halifax. Winner represents the conference at the University Cup tournament in Thunder Bay, Ont. on March 25-28.
Disabled
Search Articles
More CE Network Sites & Partners:
