Wildcats Spoil New Year's Eve Party at Harbour Station
Published on December 31, 2008 under Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
Moncton Wildcats News Release
SAINT JOHN, NB --- The Moncton Wildcats spoiled the party at Harbour Station on Wednesday afternoon, handing the Saint John Sea Dogs a 3-2 loss in front of 4,329 fans on the final day of 2008.
In a highly-entertaining match played within an energetic, festive atmosphere, the home team amassed a 2-1 lead over the course of the opening forty minutes of play in their mid-week summit versus the Atlantic Division's top-ranked team. The visitors scored two unanswered goals in the third period to produce a hard-fought 3-2 road victory however, taking a three-games-to-two lead in the season series between the bitter rivals in the process.
In a battle between the QMJHL's two best penalty killing units, the Sea Dogs out-duelled the Wildcats on the day after going a perfect 4-for-4. Moncton, meanwhile, allowed one power play goal to finish the match with a 2-for-3 mark in man-down situations.
Ryan Sparling and Josh Schram both scored for Saint John in the special New Year's Eve contest, while Matt Eagles, Pierre-Marc Lessard, and Matt Brown replied for Moncton.
Between the pipes, Nicola Riopel picked up his league-leading 26th victory for the Wildcats after turning in a 22-save performance. At the other end of the ice, Robert Mayer made 28 stops on the afternoon in net for the Sea Dogs, falling to 18-17 on the season following the loss.
Both goaltenders played exceptionally well throughout the opening frame, frequently confounding their opposing shooters throughout the twenty minutes session to send the holiday tilt into the first intermission with the score deadlocked at zeroes.
Saint John finally broke the scoreless tie 7:22 into the second period, with a pair of original Sea Dogs hooking up to put the hosts up 1-0. During a 5-on-3 power play, Team Captain Alex Grant faked a slap shot from the point prior to firing a hard pass along the ice to a crease-hovering Ryan Sparling. The overage winger made no mistake on the prime opportunity, shovelling the puck across the Wildcats' goal line to register the 17th marker of his season.
Josh Schram then doubled the home team's lead, grabbing a loose puck in Moncton's zone and wiring a low shot past Riopel to produce his second career QMJHL goal at the 12:16 mark of the middle frame.
Four-and-a-half minutes later, the visiting squad from the Hub City cut their opponents' lead in half on a delayed penalty, with Matt Brown netting his 14th goal to make the score 2-1 as Wednesday's intra-provincial showdown reached the forty minute mark.
The Wildcats tied things up at two apiece early in the third period, as Mike Eagles redirected a Paul Dimitruk shot to the back of Saint John's net to improve his 2008-09 goals total to 19. Moncton then took their first lead of the night on a close-range one-timer off the stick of Pierre-Marc Lessard, who was set up nicely by Eagles deep in Sea Dogs territory.
Saint John worked vehemently to produce the equalizer in the late-going, with Shea Kewin appearing to tie things up with 33.3 seconds remaining in regulation. A video replay determined that the rugged winger's shot failed to breach the Moncton goal line however, and the Wildcats were able to hang on to their one-goal lead for there on in.
These two teams meet again on Friday night at the Moncton Coliseum, as the Sea Dogs seek to exact revenge upon their regional adversaries in their first game of 2009.
Saint John's next home game is scheduled to be played on Saturday, January 10 at 7pm and will see the Port City's major junior squad play host to the defending QMJHL champion Gatineau Olympiques.
Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Stories from December 31, 2008
- Wildcats Spoil New Year's Eve Party at Harbour Station - Moncton Wildcats
- Rocket Make Additional Moves - P.E.I. Rocket
- Titan trade Paris to Saguenéens - QMJHL
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