Rising to the occasion
Central Attack uses big second period to repeat as Spud champs
The Central Attack didn’t panic.
Trailing the Dartmouth Whalers from Nova Scotia 2-1 after the first period, the coaching staff talked to the players during the intermission about how they had to play to win.
“We came out there and we did it and now we’re the champs of the Spud,” captain Luke Coughlin said after the final buzzer sounded Sunday at MacLauchlan Arena.
The Attack scored four goals in a seven-minute stretch of the second period to defeat the Whalers 6-2 and repeat as the bantam AAA champs at the 45th annual Source for Source Spud Minor Hockey Tournament.
“For the returning players, it’s very exciting to be able to go back-to-back,” head coach Jeff Squires said. “For the guys who weren’t here last year, it's just a real proud moment for them to win a championship.”
It wasn’t easy. Dartmouth took the lead 3:07 in and regained it with 5:12 left in the period.
“I give full marks to Dartmouth. They came out swinging,” Squires said. “Carter Richardson … is a premium goalie here in Atlantic Canada.”
The Attack had to kill the remaining 2:16 left on a double minor to start the second period. The Whalers had their chances, but Attack goalie Ethan Clark kept the deficit from growing.
“He stood on his head,” said rookie forward Brennan Murphy.
About five minutes after the penalty expired, Murphy tied it. Twenty-five seconds later, he put the home side ahead for good with a power-play goal.
“It was a great feeling. I just wanted to do it for the team,” said the 14-year-old leftwinger from Charlottetown.
“Brennan has had a great year,” the head coach said. “He should be very proud of his weekend here and rising to the occasion in a big (tournament).”
With the Whalers on the power play, Coughlin struck for the back-breaking goal.
From his own zone, the defenceman dished a stretch pass to Cam Squires near the offensive blue-line and he fed the puck across the ice to Brett Arsenault.
Coughlin didn’t stop to admire his pass. He busted his butt up ice.
“I probably shouldn't have been jumping up into the rush, but it obviously worked,” he said.
“I was calling for it. I was going to one-time it, but then I waited the goalie out and put it in on one knee.”
The head coach credited Coughlin, Squires, Murphy, Arsenault and Nathan Mossey for leading the charge in the
comeback.
“In that second period they really turned it up and it was pretty fun to watch,” he said.
With only a handful of players back from last year’s Spud-winning squad, Coughlin said it took he team some time to jell this season.
“It’s amazing. The boys have come so far,” he said. “We’ve bonded together and have come really close.”
Some of the players who were part of last year’s title run were in the stands rooting for their former teammates and buddies.
“There’s a real feeling of pride in the team and a real feeling of wanting to do something special on this Sunday,” Squires said.
He has coached in the event dating back to the late 1990s. His squads have won multiple championships, but this is the first back-to-back titles.