Tigers defeat Huskies in shootout in final game of 2021
By Allan April / HALIFAX
The Saint Mary's Huskies men's hockey team looked to finish off the 2021 portion of their schedule with a win over their crosstown rivals, the Dalhousie Tigers, on Friday night, but the Tigers had other ideas.
Dalhousie opened the action quickly with an early goal from the first-year forward Barret Kirwin (Barrie, ON) who scored three and a half minutes into the first period.
Moments later, Tigers defenceman Jarrett Baker (Black Rock, N.S.) was sent off for tripping, giving the Huskies their first powerplay advantage of the game. However, the Tigers managed to kill off the threat and hold onto the one goal lead.
Just over 12 minutes into the first period, the Huskies tied the game when forward Logan DeNoble (Peterborough, ON) sniped a brilliant shot into the Tigers goal from just inside the blue line.
Despite both teams laying on the pressure in the closing minutes of the first period, neither team scored a second goal. The game was tied at 1-1 leading into the second period, with the Tigers outshooting the Huskies 12-11.
Huskies forward Andrew Coxhead (Bedford, N.S.) was quickly sent off in the second period for slashing, giving the Tigers their first powerplay of the game. However, the Huskies promptly broke loose for a big shot on net that was saved by Tigers goalie Connor Hicks (Kanata, ON).
With just under eight minutes remaining in the second period, Huskies forward Keith Getson (Bridgewater, NS) managed to slip past the Dalhousie defencemen and beat Hicks to give Saint Mary's their first lead of the game, 2-1.
Shortly after that goal, tempers began to flare, as a scrum in front of the net saw three penalties given out. Getson was sent to the penalty box for a high stick, while the Huskies Zachary Hoffman (Newcastle, ON) and Tigers Jarrett Baker each took two minute roughing penalties.
On the ensuing four on three powerplay, the Tigers had some chances, before Huskies goaltender Matt Welsh (Halifax, N.S.) made a great breakout pass to forward Bradey Johnson (Lindsay, ON), who fired a high wrist shot past Hicks to extend the Huskies lead to 3-1.
Saint Mary's offensive surge continued less than two minutes later, as the Huskies won a faceoff in the Tigers zone, and forward Brett Neumann (Toronto, ON) picked up the puck and deked out Hicks to give the Huskies a 4-1 lead, which they would carry into the third period.
The Huskies outshot the Tigeres 12-7 in the second period.
The tension was mounting between the two teams at the offset of the third period, with Getson sent off for another high stick penalty.
On the ensuing powerplay, Tigers forward Shaun Miller (Enfield, N.S.) fired home a one-timer to bring the Tigers within two goals, 4-2.
With just over nine minutes to play, Huskies forward Dawson Theede (Brooklin, ON) restored the three-goal lead when he intercepted a pass in the Tigers zone and fired a shot past Hicks to make it 5-2 with 9:40 remaining.
Just 20 seconds after Theede's goal, the Huskies found themselves in penalty trouble again, as forward Jonathan Hampton (Richmond Hill, ON) was sent to the box for high sticking.
On the ensuing powerplay Tigers forward Campbell Pickard (Halifax, N.S.) tipped home a point shot from Derek Gentile (Sydney, N.S.), to cut the lead back to 5-3.
Just two minutes later, Gentile fired another harmless looking shot from the point that tipped off a Huskies defenceman and beat Welsh to cut the lead to one, 5-4 with just over 6 minutes remaining in regulation.
Just 17 seconds later the Tigers scored their third goal in two minutes and 19 seconds, when defenceman Connor Welsh (Halifax, N.S.) found forward Logan Johnston (Fredericton, N.B.) in front to tie the game at 5-5.
Both defences tightened up over the final six minutes, with neither team managing to score. The Tigers outshot the Huskies 16-13 over the third period.
The tight defence continued through five minutes of overtime, as no goals were scored and the teams headed into a shootout. The Huskies outshot the Tigers 4-3 in overtime, giving them a 40-38 shots on goal advantage for the game, as the two teams prepared for the shootout.
The Huskies sent captain and leading scorer Mitchell Balmas (Sydney, N.S.) out first and he made no mistake, beating Hicks with a low wrist shot.
Unfortunately for the visitors, Balmas would be the only Huskies player to score his attempt, as Hicks denied Neumann, Theede, Dunkley and Johnson.
Connor Welsh and Darien Kielb (Hamilton, ON), scored for the Tigers, to give them the 2-1 shootout win.
Kielb, who scored dazzling game winner in the shootout, was awarded Subway Player of the Game. Huskies forward Dawson Theede was named third star of the game with one goal and one assist.
With the loss, the Huskies dropped to 7-9-2 on the season, and remain in fifth place in the AUS standings. The Tigers win improved their record to 9-8-1, good for third place.
Both teams will return to the ice on Jan. 7, 2022 with the Tigers facing off against the Acadia Axemen and the Huskies travel to St. Francis Xavier to take on the X-Men.
The Huskies next home game will be a rematch against Dalhousie on Jan. 8.