The UPEI Panthers men’s hockey team rallied from a 3-0 deficit to down archrival Moncton Blue Eagles 5-3 for a crucial AUS win Saturday night.
The Panthers improved their regular season record to 8-5 with the win in Moncton.
The two teams clash again Friday in Charlottetown, the Panthers final game before the Christmas holiday break.
Head coach Forbes MacPherson said the win was huge for the Panthers, with the nationally third-ranked Blue Eagles sitting in second place in the AUS division.
However, the game was far from perfect for the Panthers, with MacPherson unhappy with UPEI’s poor start.
The Blue Eagles shot out of the gates Saturday with Pier-Alexandre Pouli and Charles Bergeron scoring on the powerplay while Francis Rochon got an unassisted short-handed goal for Moncton which led 3-0 going into the second period.
“Moncton made us pay the price (in the first period),” MacPherson said during an interview with The Guardian. “We made some adjustments between the first and second, but to be honest, we still weren’t where we wanted to be.”
UPEI narrowed the lead halfway through the second with Reggie Traccitto scoring on the powerplay at 9:15.
Less than 15 seconds later, Harrison McIver found the net for the Panthers, narrowing the gap to 3-2 and changing the tide of the game.
“We were fortunate to get two quick goals and that turned over the momentum of the game,” said MacPherson, adding that he felt the Panthers played a perfect period in the third.
The Panthers got off to a quick start in the final frame as Matt Carter took advantage of the powerplay to tie up the game at 3:22, before Jordan Knox netted the game-winner while UPEI wad short-handed at 3:57.
Jared Gomes gave the Panthers some breathing room with a goal at 12:54.
Game time Friday at MacLauchlan Arena is 7 p.m.
“We’re trying to get back to our brand of hockey,” said MacPherson. “And hopefully, we’l finish the first half of the season in fine fashion.”
