DeNoble nets double overtime winner, as Saint Mary’s takes Game 1 6-5

CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. - Logan DeNoble delivered the final dagger in double overtime, as the Saint Mary's Huskies defeated the UPEI Panthers 6-5 in Game 1 of the best-of-three quarter-final.

At 8:26, Dawson Theede took a loose puck into the attacking zone and passed it in the slot to DeNoble, who wired a wrist shot past goaltender Jonah Capriotti for the game-winner. 

"I don't think you can top it," DeNoble said about scoring one of the biggest goals in his AUS career. "It was a big relief. Seeing everyone rush onto the ice to celebrate was a pretty good feeling."

DeNoble may have scored the most important goal, but it was teammate Andrew Coxhead who stole the show early. The rookie recorded a hat trick and added an assist in the win, while Nathan Dunkley and Justin MacPherson scored the other two goals.

"I found myself in the right spots in front of the net and pucks were coming to me," Coxhead said. "I just played the way I usually play, going to the net hard and hoping good things would happen."

The Panthers, meanwhile, featured a balanced attack with five different players finding the back of the net. Troy Lajeunesse, Kyle Maksimovich and Kaleb Pearson each finished with a goal and an assist, while Jaden Peca and Darian Pilon were the other scorers.

Lajeunesse put the Panthers ahead early when he wrapped around the net and tucked a shot by netminder Justin Sumarah just 15 seconds into the game.

That seemed to wake up the Huskies, who responded less than five minutes later when Coxhead drove hard to the net and got off a weak shot before roofing his own rebound in the opposite corner. The visitors kept the pressure on and were rewarded again at 7:36. Off a faceoff win, Dennis Busby skated along the boards and passed it in front to Dunkley, who put away the one-timer while on one knee.

However, that lead was short-lived as UPEI evened the score at 2-2 five minutes later. Jesse Sutton took a pass along the end boards and passed in front to Peca, who hammered it home.

Saint Mary's special teams unit took over midway through the second period, as they scored two goals 1:47 apart. The first came at 11:16 when Coxhead took advantage of a loose puck in front of the net and tapped it in for the power play marker. Coxhead then deposited a shorthanded goal, as the rookie took an errant pass and skated in uncontested before beating Capriotti with a wrist shot.

UPEI stormed back late in the period thanks to strong forechecking. At 16:50, Jordan Maher picked the pocket of a Huskie at the edge of the neutral zone and passed it to his right to Maksimovich, who rifled the one-timer by Sumarah.

With 10 seconds remaining in the period, Pilon stole the puck in the neutral zone and drove hard to the net before beating Sumarah glove side to tie it 4-4. 

The game stayed tied until 7:12 when MacPherson gave the Huskies the lead. On a three-on-three rush, Sam King dropped a pass off for Ben Higgins, who fired a shot off Capriotti, which led to a rebound that MacPherson poked home.

With seconds winding down, it looked like the Panthers would come up short, but a delay of game penalty with 22 seconds to go gave them new life. With a flurry of activity in front of the net, Pearson fired the puck off the goaltender before roofing in his own rebound with three seconds to spare.

Fatigue had clearly set in after a scoreless overtime period. Still, the Huskies mustered enough energy to find the game-winner in the second overtime as DeNoble's goal put Saint Mary's in a position to sweep the series at home on Sunday.

"That's one of the things we talked about, coming here and taking Game 1," DeNoble said. "Now we have the opportunity to close it out at home."

Recap by Thomas Becker / UPEI Athletics