Caps comeback falls short
Ramblers spoil debut for new Capitals netminder
The Summerside D. Alex MacDonald Ford Western Capitals scored midway though the final frame to make it close Monday, but it wasn’t enough to earn Alex Bishop his first win between the pipes in his Maritime Junior Hockey League debut.
The Capitals announced they had acquired Bishop just prior to the New Year’s Day matinee, a 4-3 loss to the visiting Amherst Ramblers.
The six-foot-four goalie was acquired from the Markham Majors in Ontario, but had previously played three seasons in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League with Saint John, Quebec and Val-d’Or.
On Monday, the Capitals traded first period goals with the Ramblers to end the frame tied 2-2, but the Ramblers added two more in the second and hung on for the win.
“I thought early parts of the game were sloppy and I thought we were flat,” said Capitals head coach Billy McGuigan. “But coming on the later stages of the game we got better but couldn’t battle back all the way.”
The Ramblers opened the scoring at 4:06 of the first on a goal by Layton Parsons.
The Caps responded about a minute later when Cam Roberts scored on the power play.
The Ramblers regained the lead at 7:59, when former Charlottetown Islanders centre Will Bower beat Bishop, but the tie was restored at 15:39, again on the power play, when Jordan Spence beat Amherst netminder Joel Goguen.
In the second period, Brady Griffin-Hefford on the power play at 12:13 and Will Lafford at 13:46 scored for Amherst.
Spence scored his second of the game at 12:50 of the final frame but that would be as close as the Capitals would get.
T.J. Shea had three assists, Jesse Annear added two and Brodie MacArthur one. Bishop turned away 18 of the 22 shots he faced while Goguen allowed three goals on 18 shots.
The Caps (16-12-1-0) moved one point clear of the Campbellton Tigers and Miramichi Timberwolves for second place in the Eastlink North Division.
Summerside’s next game is Thursday at Credit Union Place when they host the St. Stephen Aces at 7 p.m.