Tigers defeat Moncton 3-2 in a dramatic overtime finish

Homecoming gave the Dalhousie University students a taste of victory in their first preseason game at the new Oulton-Stanish Centre. 

The Dalhousie Tigers defeated the Université de Moncton 3-2 in a preseason overtime game on Sept. 26.

Goaltender Carter Richardson made 49 saves in the win, backstopping the Tigers to their first preseason victory. The team went 1-1-1 through their three exhibition games.

“It makes you feel proud to be here,” says Jon Greenwood, Dalhousie Tigers men’s head coach. “We want to give the students, alumni and anyone that supports the team a team to be proud of and come watch.”  

Greenwood is entering his first season as the head coach of the Tigers. Homecoming was the team’s final preseason game before their season opens at home with a rematch versus Moncton on Oct. 9.

Related: Jon Greenwood is ready for first year as Dal’s men’s hockey head coach

For a fourth straight year, the Tigers were at the bottom of the Atlantic University Sport standings after the 2025-26 season with a 2-25-3 record. 

Kolbe Turkington, a second-year history student at Dal and a fan who attended the Tigers’ homecoming contest, believes that the Tigers will have a great season.

“These guys are rocking it. They have the energy. They have passion,” says Kolbe Turkington. Both teams lined up at centre ice and were greeted by fans dressed in black and gold attire, showcasing loud energy and Tigers’ pride that flowed across the rink.

Ryan Del Monte got the Tigers on the board just over a minute into the first period in front of a crowd of 700. Last season, the team’s highest-attended home game featured 253 fans.“This crowd was great,” says Charles Salmon, a second-year commerce student who attended the game.

The Aigles Bleus (Blue Eagles) responded with striking hits, but the Tigers took their 1-0 lead into the second period.

In the second period, the Aigles Bleus came out of the gate generating offensive pressure and keeping the crowd silent and in a panic. The Moncton team registered 18 shots, while Dalhousie only got three attempts on net. 

The Aigles Bleus biggest challenge was getting through Carter Richardson, the Tigers’ goaltender and second-year management student-athlete.

“The expectation was high,” says Richardson. ”Coming into this game, we [knew we] could beat any team in the league. We just tried to keep that same mindset.” 

Prior to joining Dal, Richardson played for the Maine Nordiques in the North American Hockey League. He registered 23 wins in 38 games during his time there, placing him on the league’s East all-star team in the 2024-25 season. 

The Aigles Bleus got a break in the third period when Cooper Cormiertied the game off a rebound on Richardson.

Anthony Gaudet of the Aigles Bleus then silenced the crowd by shooting the puck at the blue line, passing by Richardson to give Monton a 2-1 lead with just over two minutes remaining in regulation.

Greenwood says that the team had to regroup and not overthink each play while competing on the ice.

With 57 seconds left in regulation, Zak Smith calmly carried the puck and blew past a defender to score on the backhand, sending the game to overtime.

Newly committed Tiger, Joel Sexsmith, fired a shot past Moncton’s goaltender Olivier Dallaire on the power play that led to an eruption in the stands. 

“We want to try to get better every game,” says Greenwood. “It’s a cliché, but there’s truth to that, and there’s no doubt that was the best game we played.”