Eagles Stretch Home Win Streak To Eight, Top Titan In Home Finale
NOTES FROM THE GAME
– For the second straight game, the Eagles fell behind 1-0 but rallied, and defeated the Acadie-Bathurst Titan by a score of 3-2.
– Ivan Ivan paced the Eagles attack with two goals, while Cam Squires added two assists and Jacob Newcombe also scored. Oliver Satny stopped 33 of 35 shots in the win.
– Prior to the game the Eagles honoured outgoing 20 year olds Ivan Ivan, Samuel Johnson, and Trevor Thurston, each presented with framed photos with their family in attendance.
– With the win, the Eagles stretched their home winning game streak to eight games- tied for the third longest in team history.
– As a result of the loss, the Titan were eliminated from playoff contention.
Just like the prior night’s game between the two teams, no one was able to find the back of the net in the first period. Bathurst had an opportunity after a four minute double minor for high sticking was given to William Shields, but the Eagles killed the first half of the penalty and the second half was negated by a Markas Samenas penalty. The teams headed to the break even at zero.
Also like the previous night, it was Bathurst breaking the ice- this time a power play marker from Ben Allison, who lifted the puck over Oliver Satny to give the visitors a 1-0 lead. (Allison, a 2018 Cape Breton draft pick, became the final former Cape Breton Screaming Eagle to appear in a QMJHL game at Centre 200.)
On Friday, the Eagles rallied in the third period for a victory but this time the rally began in the second period. It was Jacob Newcombe getting the home side on the board, ripping a shot that went by Bathurst goaltender Josh Flemming and hit the post- but bounced off Flemming’s back and into the net. The Eagles pulled ahead when Ivan banked a shot off Flemming’s back from behind the net, and it was 2-1 for the home team at the intermission.
Late in the period Bathurst had another big special teams opportunity to tie the game, as Cape Breton’s Angelo Fullerton was given a five minute major and a game misconduct for checking from behind. But, in part due to a minor penalty to Ty Higgins, the Eagles were able to kill off the major, which carried into the third period.
On the night they were honoured, the two Eagle overage forwards fittingly teamed up for a crucial goal before the five minute mark of the the third period. Ivan tried to feed the puck to Johnson at the side of the net, Johnson failed to convert but retrieved the puck behind the goal and set up Ivan for a key insurance marker.
The latter of the third period was played at a frantic pace, with Cape Breton Oliver Satny making some exceptional saves, while his Eagle teammates hit multiple goal posts in attempts to beat Flemming again. At the 13:35 mark, Higgins found the back of the net to pull the Titan within a goal. Following the Bathurst goal and ensuing centre ice faceoff, the teams played over five minutes without a whistle, with the Titan unable to find a tying goal. In the final minute, Flemming was lifted for an extra attacker but the Titan could not find a tying goal.
The Eagles will now hit the road for the a three game road trip to finish the regular season- it all starts Wednesday night in Moncton at 7 PM against the Wildcats. The game is available for purchase online at https://watch.chl.ca You can also hear all the action beginning with the pre-game show with Patrick McNeil at 6:30 PM on 1270 AM CJCB or online at www.cjcbradio.com
THREE STARS OF THE GAME
1. Ivan Ivan (Cape Breton) 2 goals, 15 for 19 on faceoffs
2. Samuel Johnson (Cape Breton) 1 assist, +2
3. Trevor Thurston (Cape Breton) 1 assist
Scratches For Cape Breton: Cameron Henderson, Owen Arnold
Scratches For Acadie-Bathurst: Dylan Andrews (injury, Mason Chitaroni (injury), Alexandre Lallier (injury), Blake Pilgrim-Edwards (injury), Jake Uberti (injury)
Final Shots On Goal: 35-29 in favour of Acadie-Bathurst
Cape Breton Power Play: 0/2
Acadie-Bathurst Power Play: 1/5
