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Road Trip

March 9, 2011 - Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
Lewiston MAINEiacs News Release


It was 3am, and while most people are sleeping, we were in the Androscoggin Bank Colisee parking lot, getting ready to leave for Halifax. We loaded up three cars full of MAINEiacs fans (19 total people), and made our way to Nova Scotia. There wasn't much to see at 3am, other than an icy turnpike up through Augusta. Once the sun started to come up, it was easier to enjoy the trip.

We made quick stop at McDonald's for breakfast, and got gas before we crossed the border at Calais. Once into New Brunswick, it was a lot of highway. A lot of the scenery in New Brunswick reminds you of Maine. There were lots of trees, lakes, and mountains, and just like home, they have been hammered with snow. There was so much salt on the cars that we wrote messages on the car windows.

In the car, we kept ourselves entertained by singing, cracking jokes, taking pictures of people sleeping (okay, I was the one doing that), and blowing our airhorns at the other cars that we were driving with. We arrived in Halifax 12 hours later at our hotel around 2:30pm. We were staying at the Citadel Hotel, which also happened to be where the boys were as well. As for the hotel, it wasn't bad. The beds were a little hard, but we made do. The only thing to complain about was the lack of wireless internet.

Once we got situated, we found our way to the mall across the street. Gail Tarr and I both had Chinese food. She wanted me to try the egg rolls. Let's just say they were good, but we still haven't figured out what the dark meat like substance was inside the roll. As we were eating, we ended up seeing Kirill Kabanov and Stefan Fournier. They came over and chatted for a minute. Lisa, her two kids (Dustin and Susan), and Bobby Morin decided to go relax back at the hotel.

Gail and I then ventured off to find the casino. After making our way through the tunnels (we felt like hamsters in their tubes), we found the casino. We lost a little bit of money, and made our way back to the hotel to relax and get ready for the game.

It was nice that the Halifax Metro Centre was within walking distance from the hotel. However, the only bad thing was that it was so cold in Halifax. The wind was nasty. The Halifax Metro Centre is a beautiful arena with comfortable seats and a great view of the game. The poutine was good, and the people at the arena were nice to us as well.

As a note to the arena staff, Peter Delmas does not play for you anymore! They announced him as the starting goalie (instead of Frederic Piche). The boys played a great game, and thanks to the win, a poor Halifax fan (who made a bet) had to come over and bow down to our group after the game. He was a good sport about it.

We got to go and see the boys after the game, which was cool, especially since the bus comes right into the arena. There were a lot of friends and family members of the local boys - Ian Saab, Cole Hawes, and Alex Zafiris.

Following the game, Gail, Bobby, Shane Manson, and I wanted to go get something to eat, but changed our minds, and ended up checking out a nice little pub called the Split Crow. Everyone was very nice to us, even with Gail going around with my iPod, taking pictures with everyone, including the band. After that, we all decided to call it a night after a long day. Plus, we needed the rest for a short trip to Charlottetown, PEI in the morning.

After a good night's sleep, we were off to Charlottetown. We left Halifax at around 11am on an absolutely beautiful day for a drive. As we drove to PEI, we passed by a couple of seals chilling out on top of the ice. The fun part of this trip was when the GPS decided to take us to the ferry, which would have be great, had it been open.

After driving an hour and a half out of the way, we got turned around, and made our way to the Confederation Bridge. The bridge is nine miles long, as well as a little bit high. So, for those of you who don't like bridges, you would not like this.

We got to our hotel in Charlottetown at around 4:30pm. We stayed at the Best Western, which was a very nice hotel, with much more comfortable beds. However, just like the Citadel in Halifax, we were stuck without wireless internet. The hotel was only about five or six minutes away from the Charlottetown Civic Centre, leading to a short drive.

The arena is old, the seats are okay, and the ice had a smoky look to it after the zamboni cleaned it. The poutine and the other food choices left something to be desired, so let's just say that no one ate at the arena on Saturday.

Both games were very exciting, as the team came from behind only to lose in a shootout on Friday, before an overtime win on Saturday, which made the drive home all that better.

On Friday night, we decided to do our newspaper gag. Whenever the other team scored, we hold the newspaper up like we weren't paying attention. It got a lot of their fans laughing, and we even made it on TV. They were televising the game that night across the Maritimes on Eastlink.

Following the game, we checked out the local bars, and ended up finding one called the Irish Twin Pub. The band there was a straight up Irish band, so I knew none of the music. From there, we found a dance club called the Velvet Underground, which was more me. They had music that I knew, and we (Gail, Bobby, Paul P, and I) had a blast. After that, we crashed for the night, as we knew that we needed the rest.

The next day, our plan was simple - SHOPPING!! We found Walmart, while also hitting up a lot of other local stores with lots of great deals. We stopped at Eastside Mario's for lunch (italian food), which was really good. After that, we finished shopping, and went back to hang out at the hotel for a bit.

For dinner, we decided as a group to go to Boston Pizza. We had heard so much about it from DJ Abisalih, so we had to go, and it was excellent. Most of the group had pizza.

Following the meal, we went and watched the boys play their hearts out. You could tell that it was their third game in three nights. While there, we got to see former MAINEiacs Matt Boyle and Marc Bourgeois.

After the thrilling overtime win, we left for Lewiston at around 10, crossing back over the Confederation Bridge after paying the $43.25 for a toll. Yes, that's the right amount. I myself won't complain so much about the tolls on the Maine Turnpike anymore. As we crossed the bridge, we quickly realized why the boys were not able to cross right away last season, as the wind was ridiculous. Our cars were even having a hard time.

After we crossed the border, we started to see the sunrise, which meant one thing - we were home. Thanks to that, we have a new appreciation for what those boys and their bus driver feels like after a long road trip. We don't know how they do it. We made it back to the Androscoggin Bank Colisee around 6:30 am. As tired as we all were then, we're already to go on the road again.

THE RACE FOR THE PLAYOFFS

(Standings updated each morning)

1 Saint John Sea Dogs 53-6-1-2, 109 PTS, 6 GR

16 Cape Breton Screaming Eagles 17-42-1-4, 39 PTS, 4 GR

2 Montreal Junior 43-11-4-5, 95 PTS, 5 GR

15 Halifax Mooseheads 19-40-1-2, 41 PTS, 6 GR

3 Quebec Remparts 44-15-1-3, 92 PTS, 5 GR

14 Val-d'Or Foreurs 23-32-4-4, 54 PTS, 5 GR

4 Drummondville Voltigeurs 42-15-5-2, 91 PTS, 4 GR

13 Rimouski Oceanic 29-30-1-2, 61 PTS, 6 GR

5 Gatineau Olympiques 39-17-3-5, 86 PTS, 4 GR

12 Chicoutimi Sagueneens 27-25-5-6, 65 PTS, 5 GR

6 Acadie-Bathurst Titan 41-21-1-1, 84 PTS, 4 GR

11 PEI Rocket 29-24-3-6, 67 PTS, 6 GR

7 LEWISTON MAINEIACS 38-22-1-3, 80 PTS, 4 GR

10 Moncton Wildcats 31-22-3-7, 72 PTS, 5 GR

8 Shawinigan Cataractes 38-22-2-1, 79 PTS, 5 GR

9 Victoriaville Tigres 34-26-1-3, 72 PTS, 4 GR

The teams are lined up based on first round series if the playoffs were to begin today.

THE HUNT IS ON!

On Wednesday March 23rd, the Lewiston MAINEiacs will be hosting "THE HUNT IS ON" pep rally at the Ramada in Lewiston to lead the team into the playoffs! In addition to the rally, the 2010-11 team awards will be presented at the event, and all of the players will be available for autographs, pictures, and more.

Schedule for the evening

6:00 Meal

7:15 Doors open for awards (for those not attending the meal)

7:30 Awards Presentation & Pep Rally

The cost of the meal will be $15 per person, except for season ticket holders, who receive a discounted price of $12.50. Tickets will be available for purchase at this weekend's home games (cash or check only).

LEWY'S LEGION TABLE

Make sure you stop by the Lewy's Legion Table near Section 7 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee this weekend.

- You can cast your vote for the 2010-11 Regular Season Fan's Choice Award.

- You can purchase your tickets to the March 23rd "THE HUNT IS ON" pep rally, when the award will be presented.

- You can fill out a suggestion card to help make the MAINEiacs improve your game experience, and you could win tickets to take in a Boston Bruins game at TD Garden, thanks to the support of Champoux Insurance.

THE CHASE FOR 50

Etienne Brodeur is on the verge of a milestone that has never been achieved by a Lewiston MAINEiac. The 19-year old has already broken the franchise record for the most goals in a single season, and now, he sits just one goal shy of 50 for the year.

Because of this, Lewy's Legion is inviting all those in attendance this weekend to bring signs with the letter "E", as well as the number "50". Then, when Etienne scores his 50th goal of the season, everyone can hold up their signs, recognizing this great accomplishment.



Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Stories from March 9, 2011


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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