Sea Dogs Fall to Wildcats 5-3
Published on January 2, 2009 under Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
Saint John Sea Dogs News Release
MONCTON, NB --- On the strength of a 2G-1A-3P performance by sophomore winger Matt Brown, the Moncton Wildcats captured their fifth straight win on Friday night, defeating the Saint John Sea Dogs by a score of 5-3 in front of 4,028 fans at the Moncton Coliseum.
The regional rivals battled to a 2-2 tie over the course of a gritty opening thirty minutes of play, with back-to-back power play goals by the Wildcats propelling the home team into a lead that they would not relinquish throughout the duration of the competitive intra-provincial showdown.
In addition to Brown's pair, Pierre-Marc Lessard, Randy Cameron, and Scott Brannon also scored for the Wildcats on the night, while Shea Kewin, Josh Scram, and Ryan Sparling responded for the Sea Dogs.
Sparling also registered an assist on the evening to earn Third Star of the Game honours at the behest of a two-point effort.
Feisty winger Josh Schram put the visitors on the scoreboard first, sneaking a backhand shot past Moncton goalie Nicola Riopel to give Saint John a 1-0 lead in the ninth minute of play. Mike Thomas and Matthew Stoddard both earned assists on the successful scoring play, which gave Schram his third goal since joining the QMJHL last month.
Pierre-Marc Lessard then tied things up at one apiece, banging home a rebound midway through the opening frame. Matt Brown gave the hosts their first lead of the match 29 seconds later, taking advantage of a Sea Dogs turnover en route to tallying the 15th goal of his season.
Overage forward Shea Kewin very nearly produced the second goal of the night for Saint John early in period number two, but a spectacular blocker save by Nicola Riopel prevented the rugged winger from doing so. Moncton's star net minder was forced to make another highlight-reel save - this time on a Steven Anthony one-timer - a moment later, as the Port City's major junior squad continued to apply heavy pressure upon their opponents in the opening minutes of the middle frame.
At the 5:33 mark of the second, veteran sniper Ryan Sparling finished off a pretty passing play for the Sea Dogs in the Wildcats' zone, netting his sixth power play goal of the 08-09 campaign with Shea Kewin and Michael Kirkpatrick drawing helpers on the game-tying strike.
Detroit Red Wings prospect restored the home team's lead six minutes later, firing a loose puck into an empty Saint John net after a wild Paul Dimitruk shot caromed awkwardly off of the boards behind Robert Mayer and landed back upon the ice surface with the surprised Sea Dogs goaltender out of position.
Scott Brannon then put the Wildcats up by two at the 13:06 mark of the second. The 19-year old Nova Scotian wired a high shot to the back of Saint John's net during a Moncton power play to record his team-leading 21st goal.
The fourth Wildcats goal of the night prompted a change between the pipes for the Sea Dogs, as rookie Karel St-Laurent took over goaltending duties from Mayer with his team trailing 4-2.
Three-and-a-half minutes later, Shea Kewin pulled the visitors back to with one of their archrivals, roofing a loose puck over Riopel's shoulder to bring an abrupt end to a scramble in the Wildcats' zone.
At the 6:55 mark of the third period, Mike Thomas and Jordan Lane squared off in a bout of fisticuffs, fighting to a draw following a spirited tilt between two major junior warriors.
A breakaway tally off the stick of Matt Brown then put Moncton up 5-3. The 17-year old winger scored his second goal of the night with 11:10 remaining in regulation.
Karel St-Laurent came up with a dynamic pad save off of a crease-hovering Pierre-Marc Lessard a few minutes later, keeping the Sea Dogs within striking distance of the Wildcats in the process.
Saint John earned several strong scoring chances in the late-going, but were ultimately unable to cut into Moncton's lead, falling by a score of 5-3 as a result.
Up next for the Sea Dogs is a Sunday afternoon match versus the Lewiston MAINEiacs at Androscoggin Bank Coliseum. The puck drops at 5pm AST as Saint John looks to register their first win of 2009 at the expense of the TELUS Central Division's fourth-place team.
Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Stories from January 2, 2009
- Stransky suspended four games - QMJHL
- This week with the Wildcats - Moncton Wildcats
- Juniors Shutout Drummondville - Montreal Juniors
- Sea Dogs Fall to Wildcats 5-3 - Saint John Sea Dogs
- Sea Dogs Recall Pard - Saint John Sea Dogs
- Sea Dogs Acquire Fifth Round Draft Pick - Saint John Sea Dogs
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