Regals complete comeback
Deciding game draws packed house to Jacques Cartier Arena
The Alberton Regals are the West Prince Senior Hockey League champions.
After dropping the first two games of the best-of-five championship series to the defending champions, O’Leary Maroons, the Regals roared to life in Game 3 and kept their foot to the gas through the rest of the series. The green and white Regals made the most of St. Patrick’s Day, posting a 6-3 win over the Maroons in Game 5 at home Saturday night.
The Jacques Cartier Arena was packed to the seams for the deciding game, some fans even overturning five-gallon buckets and using them to see over the standing-room-only crowd. “These players come out for community pride night in and night out, and it’s a battle out there,” said league president Ghislain Bernard in remarking on the crowd support the teams have received throughout the regular season and playoffs. “You guys are doing an amazing thing.
“You are solidifying your rink’s future for years to come.” Regals captain Logan Smallman acknowledged his team changed its attitude after the Maroons took the opening games of the series.
“After Game 2 we all had a talk in the dressing room, and realized that we were getting involved in the penalty side of stuff too much and we needed to play our game and not their game. “We started playing our game. We had to chip pucks out, and we made sure they didn’t have a lot of time in our D-zone.” After two penalty-filled games, the teams pretty well stuck to hockey in the series clincher.
The Regals were assessed five of the game’s eight minors. In the deciding game, the Regals jumped out to a 4-0 lead after one period. Nick Reilly cut the lead in half, but Matt LeFurgey scored 12 seconds later to give the Regals a three-goal lead going into the second intermission.
The Maroons applied some pressure in the third and cut the lead to 5-3, but Jesse MacIntyre lofted a shot out of his own corner that found its way into the Maroons’ empty net to seal the deal with 34 seconds remaining. Winning goaltender Spencer Rennie assisted on the sixth goal.
MacIntyre led the Regals with two goals and an assist. Also scoring were Jason Smallman (2), Garret Lewis (1-2) and LeFurgey (1-1). Also earning assists were Taylor Smith, Kirk Ramsay and Dylan Rayner. Nick Reilly (2-1) and Mike Adams (1-2) had three-point performances for the Maroons. Assists went to Mike MacIsaac (2) and Matt Stewart.