QMJHL Saint John Sea Dogs

Sea Dogs Drop 3-1 Decision To Cataractes

Published on October 2, 2008 under Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
Saint John Sea Dogs News Release


SAINT JOHN, NB --- Despite being outshot 37-29 on the evening, the Shawinigan Cataractes managed to defeat the Saint John Sea Dogs by a score of 3-1 on Thursday night at Harbour Station, completing a sweep of the teams' brief home-and-home series.

Cataractes net minder Timo Pielmeier, fresh off of a 29-save performance against Saint John four days ago in Shawinigan, once again played exceptionally well between the pipes for his team on Thursday. The San Jose Sharks prospect stopped 38 of the 39 shots sent his way by Sea Dogs players to improve his team's record to 6-2 on the year. With the loss, Saint John falls to 2-6.

Robert Mayer also played very well in net for Saint John on Thursday, making 26 saves on 29 shots faced while keeping the Sea Dogs in the game by way of some spectacular third period saves. Mayer's fellow European, defenseman David Stich, produced the lone goal of the night for the home team, tallying a second period power play marker which briefly reduced the visitors' lead to one.

Matthew Pistilli, Pierre-Alexander Vandall, and Antoine Houde-Caron all scored for the Cataractes in the impressive road victory.

The visiting squad from the banks of the Saint-Maurice River struck first on Thursday, with Antoine Houde-Caron shovelling in a loose puck past a sprawling Mayer to earn his second goal of the season 2:19 into the first period.

A moment after Houde-Caron scored, star Saint John rearguard Yann Sauvé administered the first big body check of the night at the expense of the 18-year old left winger, delivering a bone-crunching hit along the boards that led to a prime scoring opportunity for the Sea Dogs, as Mike Thomas and Matthew Stoddard broke into Shawinigan's zone on a two-on-one break on the ensuing turnover. Stoddard was denied in sensational fashion by Pielmeier however, as the Cataractes goalie dove across his crease to block the Nova Scotian forward's close-range snap shot to keep his team's lead intact.

Shawinigan then went up 2-0 on a power play goal off the stick of Matthew Pistilli, who beat Mayer with a well-placed at the 7:49 mark of the opening frame for his second tally of 2008-2009.

Saint John very nearly got on the board late in the first, with Alex Grant ringing a point shot off of Shawinigan's cross bar in the sixteenth minute of play and Michael Kirkpatrick coming close to burying a rebound late in the period. Pielemeier was able to keep the puck out of the net however, sending Thursday's match into the first intermission with his team leading 2-0 in the process.

The second period saw a steady procession of players on both sides entering and leaving the penalty box, with no fewer than thirteen infractions being called by officials.

On a five-on-three power play, the Sea Dogs cut Shawinigan's lead in half when import defenseman David Stich hammered an absolute missile of a one-timer to the back of the Cataractes' net to register his first goal of the season. Alex Grant and Chris DiDomenico both picked up assists on the play, which came at the 14:26 mark of the middle frame.

With less than once second remaining in the second period, the Cataractes managed to produce their third goal of the night, as Pierre-Alexandre Vandall pounced on a rebound produced by a Cedric Lalone-McNicoll shot and fired the puck into an open net to give his team a two-goal lead as Thursday's game reached the forty minute mark.

The closing twenty minutes of play saw both net minders flaunting their exceptional goaltending abilities in a most unsubtle manner, as highlight-reel saves galore were registered at either end of the ice during an ultimately scoreless third period. Mayer's mid-frame stoning of a broken-away Eric Bouchard and Pielmeier's late-match denial of a crease-hovering Keven Charland were but two of the countless amazing saves made in period number three.

Despite earning a late power play opportunity thanks to a Maxime Legault minor, Saint John was unable to cut into their opponents' lead during the closing minutes of regulation's final frame, resultantly incurring a two-goal defeat at the hands of a highly-regarded Shawinigan squad.

Up next for the Sea Dogs is a Saturday night contest versus the Halifax Mooseheads at Harbour Station. The puck drops at 7:00pm as Saint John looks to both hand the reigning division champions a loss and bring an abrupt end to their current losing streak. Tickets to this match are available by calling (506) 657-1234.

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Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Stories from October 2, 2008


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