Express claim bantam AAA title
Down defending champs three games to one
The Eastern Express has ended the Western Warriors’ two-year reign as P.E.I. bantam AAA hockey champions.
And they did it on the Warriors’ home ice, downing Western 4-2 on a stormy Wednesday night at the O’Leary Community Sports Centre. They took the best-of-five championship series 3-1.
A Riley MacDougall sharp angle goal with 1:38 left in the second period gave the Express a 3-0 lead and it held up as the winner.
Express assistant coach Morgan Reid said his team’s approach in Game 4 was the same as it has been all season.
“Play hard like we have all year, stick to our game, change nothing,” he said.
The Warriors made it 3-1 before the end of the second and reduced the Express lead to 3-2 with a shorthanded goal at 13:38 of the final period, just seconds after being assessed a five-minute major and game misconduct for kneeing.
Reid said he felt McDougall’s goal “was the one that sunk the ship.” MacDougall took the shot from along the boards, almost at a 90-degree angle to the net and it somehow found its way past Warriors goaltender
Chad Arsenault.
Reid said the Express was excited to travel to O’Leary for the game, despite the weather forecast. “There was no chance we weren’t coming here, even the parents wanted to come up.” The Express outshot the defending champions 31-27. Cole McKeigan picked up the goaltending win.
A Reid Peardon unassisted
goal with 2:42 remaining in the first period gave the Express a 1-0 lead. Two quick goals late in the second gave them a seemingly comfortable cushion. Cole Larkin from Luke Garnhum scored with 3:57 remaining and MacDougall from Sam MacNeill tallied 2:19 later. Connor Keough from Kennedy Gallant scored with 1:08 remaining in the second and
Parker Gallant’s shorthanded goal from Chandler DesRoches and Alex Hutchinson briefly reduced the Express lead to a goal late in the third.
The Warriors were assessed two minors, a major and a game misconduct while the Express was assessed four minors, a five-minute major for head contact, a game misconduct and a gross misconduct.