CHICOUTIMI, QUE. – Dixon MacLeod and Ryan Richards each had four-point nights to lead the Kensington Monaghan Farms Wild to a 6-3 win over the Midget Espoir Friday at the CCM Midget AAA Challenge in Chicoutimi, Que.
Both teams are 2-1. The win clinched the division for the Wild. They will play Saturday at 11:45 a.m. Atlantic in a quarter-final. They were waiting Friday to see who they will play against.
“Our guys are competitive and can compete with anybody,” Kensington head coach Kyle Dunn said. “Once we get our legs under us, we’re a pretty good hockey team.”
Richards had three goals and an assist while MacLeod had four helpers. Ethan Beaulieu, Bennett MacArthur and Colby MacArthur also scored. Zach Biggar, Zac Arsenault, Jack Campbell and Duncan Picketts each had an assist.
Jeremy Simard, Mathis Gauthier and Ludovick Lebel scored for Espoir.
Chad Arsenault made 22 saves for the win while Philippe Cloutier made 16 stops in the loss.
Kensington held 2-0 and 4-2 period leads. The Wild went 3-for-4 on the power play and killed all four of Espoir’s chances with the man advantage.
Dunn said his team started the tournament slowly in its opening game of the tournament but quickly adapted to the speed.
“The competition is great,” Dunn said. “You’re seeing the top players in Quebec up here and . . . Valley’s second in the Nova Scotia league.”
The Wild has been led by its veteran core of goalie Chad Arsenault, defencemen Ethan Beaulieu and Zac Arsenault as well as forwards Bennett MacArthur, Colby MacArthur, Dixon MacLeod and Ryan Richards.
“Everybody else kind of feeds off those guys,” Dunn said. “When our leaders are going, there’s not much else the other guys can do but follow their lead and put in the work they’re putting in.’’
