Posted: Dec 02, 2017
MHKY | Voyageurs Stung by Concordia in First Half Finale
On Saturday night, the Voyageurs men's hockey team lost their final game of the first half of the season 9-4 against the Concordia Stingers.
The first period was a scoring exhibition for both teams. The Voyageurs kicked things off by way of Kaden Ruest on the powerplay as he beat Marc-Antoine Turcotte on the powerplay at 7:07. Russell Nowry and Brent Pedersen assisted on the play.
Concordia answered with a tying goal just over a minute later as the Stingers got a powerplay goal of their own when Alexis Pepin scored at 8:28.
Just over a minute after that, the Voyageurs regained their one goal lead when Cray Roberge scored at 9:38 giving the Vees a 2-1 lead. Pedersen picked up his second assist of the period on the goal.
The Vees then followed up their goal with another, this time shorthanded by way of Danny Lepage at 11:15, yet again assisted by Pedersen.
The Stingers, clearly motivated by the Voyageurs early effort, stormed back in the remaining eight minutes of the first period with five unanswered goals.
Massima Carozza first brought Concordia back within one at 12:27 on the powerplay.
Just over a minute after that, Scott Oke tied the game at 3-3 with the Stingers still on the powerplay.
In the final four minutes, the Stingers would score three more goals with the final two coming on the powerplay. Concordia got their goals from Phillippe Charbonneau, Phillippe Sanche, and another from Oke. Concordia took their 6-3 lead into the first intermission.
The Voyageurs came out strong to start the second period as Richard Therrien scored at 5:19 to bring the Vees within two and the score to 6-4.
However, the Stingers again responded with a cluster of unanswered goals.
Charles-Eric Legare scored at 8:28 to restore the Stingers' three goal advantage.
Shorly after that, Pepin scored his second of the game at 10:18 for Concordia's eigth goal of the evening.
Anthony Beauregard would add his first of the game nearing the end of the second period and sending both teams into the second intermission with Concordia leading 9-4.
Both teams seemed to be all tapped out offensively after the flurry of action in the first 40 minutes as neither team managed to get on the board in the third period.
With the disappointing loss, the Voyageurs head into the Christmas exam break with a record of 2-15-0. The Voyageurs will look to recharge over the break and hit the ice in 2018 ready to turn things around.
Sam Brooks
Sports Writer