Mooseheads lose to PEI

By Sarah Kraus, Staff Contributor

With a two goal lead heading into the third period, the Halifax Mooseheads suddenly lost momentum and ended up losing 4 – 3 to the PEI Rocket in a shootout at the Metro Centre last Wednesday night.

Konrad Abeltshauser got things off to a good start for the home team, with a quick-release wrist shot that snuck past PEI’s Evan Mosher only two minutes into the game.

The Rockets didn’t take long to respond, with Travis McIsaac threading a pass from the corner to a wide open Matthew Hobbs at the far post, who finished from close range.

After taking two penalties, the Mooseheads put Mosher under fire, racking up 16 shots in the first period alone.

The second period began much like the first, with Halifax getting an early jump on the Rocket, and rookie Martin Frk got his 15th goal of the season 47 seconds in.

Continuing the pressure with a strong cycle behind Mosher’s net, the Mooseheads went ahead by a score of 3 – 1 as Charles Bety roofed a backhand top shelf.

Just when it looked as though Halifax were firmly in control of the game, Mosher saved a penalty shot, shifting momentum to the visitors.

The Rocket forced Halifax goaltender Frederic Piche to make a few brilliant toe saves late in the second period, before finally beating him with two unanswered goals in the third.

Overtime solved nothing, so the game was decided by a shootout. Frk was the only successful shooter for Halifax, while PEI scored twice for the victory.

Losing isn’t new to the Mooseheads, who currently sit in 15th place in the 18 team Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

Although being third from last doesn’t sound glamorous, it is an improvement for the Mooseheads, who have struggled in recent years, finishing dead last in each of the past two seasons. 15th place also means that the team will make the playoffs this spring for the first time since 2008, when the Mooseheads finished the regular season atop their division.

While they didn’t capture the win, the tie at the end of regulation gave the Mooseheads a valuable point in their quest to avoid the first ranked Saint John Seawolves in the first round of the playoffs.

The Mooseheads have five games left, three of which will be played at the Metro Centre, before playoffs begin at the end of the month.