RECAP BY: Ethan Hunt
(Halifax, NS) - The Dalhousie Tigers outscored the Moncton Aigles Bleus 7-4 Saturday night at the Halifax Forum in Nova Scotia.
The Tigers struck first with Liam Peyton (Halifax, NS) scoring his first of the season off of a cross crease pass from Ryan Smith (Bala, ON) on an odd man rush.
After a pushback by Moncton that Dalhousie was able to hold off, the Tigers went on the powerplay, and they made UdeM pay with Joseph Serpa (Cambridge, ON) sneaking a goal past Félix Ethier (Deux-Montagnes, QUE).
DAL continued to pile the goals on with Peyton making a great play at the line to keep the play alive, and that resulted in Evan Mackinnon (Beaverbank, NS) nudging the puck over the line.
With that being the third goal in 10 minutes, Moncton decided to talk it over, but that did not matter as on the very next shift Dalhousie were awarded a powerplay, and Alec Belanger (Quebec, QUE) was able to find the puck in the slot and he sniped it past Ethier to make it 4-0.
With 24 seconds left in the first period, Dalhousie took a penalty, so the Aigles Bleus entered the second period of play down 4-0 but with a man up.
Moncton was left off the score sheet on their powerplay thanks to stellar goaltending by Alexander MacDonald (Truro, NS), but shortly after Samuel Guilbault (Varennes, QUE) sprung Oliver-Luc Haché (Savoie Landing, NB) on a breakaway and he buried it to give the Aigles Bleus life.
Moncton made MacDonald work, first by making a breakaway save on Drouin, but he was hooked, and on the penalty shot, MacDonald turned away Edouard St-Laurent (Lévis, QUE).
With seven seconds remaining before the intermission, on a counter attack Shaun MIller (Enfield, NS) found Belange cross crease for his second goal of the night, and to end the period on a high note.
Fresh out of the break, the two teams had the scoring bug.
UdeM's Jérémy Michel (Lévis, QUE) was first sprung on a breakaway, and he was able to cash in on his own rebound, while DAL's Zak Smith (Austin, MB) found the puck during a scramble in the Moncton crease, and he made the lead four again.
After hitting the post, the Aigles Bleus went on the powerplay and they struck instantly with St-Laurent sniping it past MacDonald.
Moncton continued to add pressure, this time Jacob Dion (Sherbrooke, QUE) picked MacDonald's top right corner to make it only a two goal game.
With six minutes left, the Aigles Bleus took a detrimental penalty, and sent the Tigers to the powerplay, but they were unable to put another goal on the board.
Miller was able to put in the empty netter, and the Dalhousie Tigers walked away with a 7-4 win at home.
Miller took home player of the game for his goal and assist.
The Tigers will welcome STFX to town on Wednesday, and the Aigles Bleus will look to bounce back at home against Saint Mary's.
PHOTO BY: Nick Pearce