The Dalhousie men’s hockey team got their first win of the season this last Friday by edging the Universite de Moncton Aigles-Bleus 6-4 in front of a home crowd of 550 fans. Tigers forward Jeff Larsh scored a hat trick and was named the first star of the game. He scored his first goal 39 seconds into the match and Tigers forward Kenzie Sheppard added another a minute later. This offensive outburst chased Moncton’s starting goalie Pierre-Alexandre Marion out of the net in less than two minutes.
Moncton’s backup goalie Kevin Lachance gave the Aigles-Bleus the opportunity to make a comeback making 32 saves on 35 shots. On the other end, Tigers goalie Bobby Nadeau stepped up his game and only allowed four goals on 40 shots. This was not an easy process for Nadeau since the Tigers struggled in their own end for most of the game.
The Tigers had the momentum coming into the second period with a 3-1 lead. The second period momentum swung into the sticks of the Aigles-Bleus with a U de M goal coming 35 seconds into the period. Larsh made it 4-2, completing his hat trick after jamming in a rebound during an early second period Tigers power play. Moments later, during a Blue Eagles power play, Tigers forward Trevor MacKenzie forced a turnover in his own defensive zone, leading to a 2-1 rush. MacKenzie kept the puck and put a backhand in the top corner, increasing the lead to a commanding 5-2 for the Tigers.
Heading into the third, the victory looked to be secure, but some sloppy play and a lack of discipline led to a number of turnovers in the third. If not for the stellar play of Nadeau, the game could have easily slipped away. Universite de Moncton added one goal early in the period, but Nadeau shut the door, keeping it to a one-goal game. The Tigers put in a late empty net goal to kill the comeback.
With the win, Dal looks to climb out of the basement of the AUS (Atlantic University Sport). It is a tough feat staring them in the face, but it’s not impossible. If the Tigers are able to string together a few more gutsy performances, the playoffs will be in reach.
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