QMJHL Saint John Sea Dogs

Sea Dogs Capture 2009-10 Jean Rougeau Trophy With 5-2 Home Win

March 7, 2010 - Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
Saint John Sea Dogs News Release


SAINT JOHN, NB --- The 2009-10 edition of the Saint John Sea Dogs made history on Sunday afternoon, capturing the Jean Rougeau Trophy as QMJHL regular season champions for the first time in franchise history after defeating the Halifax Mooseheads by a score of 5-2 in front of a capacity crowd of 6,488 at Harbour Station.

By virtue of this accomplishment, Saint John will now have home ice advantage throughout the upcoming 2010 President's Cup Playoffs as the 16-team tournament's #1 seed.

Mike Hoffman, Nick Petersen, Tomas Jurco, Steven Anthony, and Nathan Beaulieu all scored for the Sea Dogs in Sunday's historic victory, while veteran goalie Marco Cousineau made 25 saves in picking up the 24th win of his season.

At the other end of the ice, German blue-liner Konrad Abeltshauser tallied a pair of markers for Halifax in a losing effort, with sophomore net minder Mathieu Corbeil falling to 8-37 on the season after surrendering five goals on 38 shots faced.

The home team struck first on Sunday as a pinching Nathan Beaulieu took a pass from Zack Phillips in the Halifax slot and wired a high wrist shot over Corbeil's shoulder to pick up the eleventh goal of his sophomore season at the 11:30 mark of period number one.

Marco Cousineau stopped all ten shots fired upon him during the opening frame, keeping his team's one-goal lead in tact as Sunday's contest reached the twenty minute mark in the process.

Saint John doubled their advantage 2:19 into the second period when import winger Tomas Jurco blasted a long-range one-timer to the back of the Mooseheads' net to improve his rookie goals total to 23. Mike Hoffman picked up the lone assist on Jurco's man-up marker, which propelled the Slovakian sniper into a tie for fourth place in the QMJHL rookie goal scoring race.

A hard shot off the stick of Konrad Abeltshauser reduced the visitors' deficit to one in the 28th minute of play, as the 17-year old defenseman registered his fourth career goal during a Halifax power play.

Vancouver Canucks prospect Steven Anthony put the Sea Dogs back up by two a few minutes later on a great individual effort. The 18-year old Haligonian stole the puck from an opposing player at his own blue line and charged down-ice with a Mooseheads defender hooking him for most of the voyage. Anthony nonetheless managed to beat Corbeil through the five-hole to finish the play off in style.

Superstar forward Mike Hoffman added to the hosts' advantage just 13 seconds into the third period, netting his 45th tally of 2009-10 on an errant shot that bounced off of the glass behind Halifax's net prior to pinballing its way across the visitors' goal line. Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Nick Petersen then got in on the action 38 seconds later, finishing off a nifty tic-tac-toe passing play with line-mates Hoffman and Stanislav Galiev by burying his career-high 38th goal of the year past a sprawling Corbeil.

The Mooseheads then pulled back to within three courtesy of another well-placed shot from Konrad Abeltshauser, but that would be as close as Halifax would get as Saint John ultimately took the decision by a 5-2 final.

Up next for the Sea Dogs is a Wednesday night road game versus the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles. The puck drops at 7pm as Saint John looks to kick off their final road trip of the regular season with a win at Centre 200.

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Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Stories from March 7, 2010


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