Rivalry renewed
Monctonian-winning Wild host Pride tonight in Kensington
The Charlottetown Bulk Carriers Pride look to slow down the New Brunswick/Prince Edward Island Major Midget Hockey League’s hottest team tonight in Kensington.
The host Kensington Monaghan Farms Wild has won seven straight league games and are coming off Sunday’s championship win at the Monctonian.
Pride head coach Luke Beck said his team must be responsible in all three zones and play five-on-five hockey in order to beat the Wild.
“They have a lot of really good offensive players,” he said. “We want to make sure that we’re identifying them and not giving them a lot of time and space as well as opportunities with the man advantage.”
Wild head coach Kyle Dunn said it will be his team’s first regular season home game in a month and having it against provincial rivals will add to the atmosphere.
“It’s going to be exciting for sure,” he said. “I don’t think it’s going to be too hard for our guys to get up for that one.”
He said each time the teams get together it is a competitive game with the team that makes the fewest mistakes and wants it more leaving victorious.
The last meeting resulted in a 2-1 Wild win when Bennett MacArthur scored with 9.6 seconds remaining on Nov. 11 at MacLauchlan Arena.
Beck said it, like every game at this level, was a learning opportunity for his squad.
“We can play with one of the top teams in Atlantic Canada if we play as a group and play how we want to play as a team,” he said.
The Pride dropped a 5-2 decision to the Valley Wildcats from Nova Scotia in its first game at the Monctonian.
Beck credited the team’s leadership group for holding a team meeting after the game. The boys responded the next day with a 2-2 tie against College du Mont-Saint-Anne from Quebec before ending the tournament against the St. John’s Maple Leafs from Newfoundland and Labrador.
“I thought our guys played really well. We were down 2-0 going to the third and we’re able to rally late and get a 3-2 win to end the tournament on a positive note,” Beck said. “We’re really hoping that we can build off that.”
The Wild won the tournament and have shown they are one of the best squads in the region.
“Definitely, winning that tournament puts a feather in your cap and, obviously, puts a target on our back as well,” Dunn said. “Everyone is going to be coming to Kensington with their best effort, so we definitely have to be ready for that.”
Erik MacInnis (Pride) and Josh Smith (Wild) will be the starting goalies while the Pride will be without leading scorer Declan MacEachern (wrist) and Max Chisholm (shoulder).