Mooseheads Pull Even with the Remparts
March 5, 2023 - Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
Halifax Mooseheads News Release
The Mooseheads used a five-goal first period to put away the visiting Titan early and Halifax coasted to a 6-2 win on Sunday at Scotiabank Centre.
The victory was the 43rd of the season for the Moose and the two points helped the team pull even with the idle Quebec Remparts for first overall in the QMJHL standings. Both teams now sit at 93 points, although the Remparts will hang onto the top seed for the timebeing since they have more regulation time wins.
Mathieu Cataford did a good bulk of the damage for the Herd in the game with two goals and one assist to reach the 30-goal plateau for the first time in his career. He was named the first star and also played a physical game with three hits, including a massive check on Titan forward William Bishop behind the Bathurst net.
Halifax got on the board early when Reece Peitzsche used patience in front of the crease to bury the fourth goal of his rookie campaign at the 3:33 mark of the first period. Josh Lawrence added to the lead 123 seconds later and the Moose were off and running in the game that was being made-up following a postponement on the original date of February 17th due to poor weather. Drew Madigan sliced the Titan deficit in half before Halifax exploded with tallies from Evan Boucher, Mathieu Cataford and Markus Vidicek in the final few minutes of the period to take a 5-1 advantage to the dressing room.
Cataford tacked on the only goal of the second period while the Titan got one back in the third off the stick of Bishop.
The matchup featured plenty of fireworks between the division rivals as Ben Allison of Acadie-Bathurst played a major role in trying to goad the Mooseheads into penalty trouble. He dropped his gloves and tried to force Dylan MacKinnon into a fight at the same time Vidicek was celebrating his goal. Allison was originally sent to the penalty box but after a conference between the officials, he was not given a penalty. The 20-year-old forward continued to be the focal point of the Titan's attempt to get under the skin of the Mooseheads players while Acadie-Bathurst teammate Joseph Henneberry was tossed from the game at the end of the second period for discriminatory taunts, gestures and slurs. Mooseheads forward Evan Boucher was also given the gate for checking to the head when he made a run at Allison earlier in the middle stanza.
Mathis Rousseau picked up his 31st win of the season in goal by making 23 saves. The Titan used both of their goalies as Sergei Litvinov was yanked after 20 minutes following five goals on 15 shots. Joshua Fleming played the final two periods and stopped 17 of 18.
This was the first of four meeting in 10 days between the two clubs with the Titan set to host back-to-back games this Thursday and Friday at the K.C. Irving Regional Centre. The Moose will also stop in Moncton next Sunday before returning to Scotiabank Centre ice on Wednesday, March 15th against the Titan at 7pm. Tickets are on sale now at TicketAtlantic.com.
Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Stories from March 5, 2023
- Mooseheads Pull Even with the Remparts - Halifax Mooseheads
- Eagles Rally Falls Short in Saint John - Cape Breton Eagles
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