Colby Huggan delivers – again in first round
Prince Edward Island player scores winning goal as Titan upsets Mooseheads
The Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League playoff series between the Acadie-bathurst Titan and Halifax Mooseheads quickly became the Colby Huggan Show.
The forward from Charlottetown scored a hat trick and recorded five points to lead the seventh-seeded Titan to a 7-2 win and a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven playoff series against the No. 2-seeded Halifax Mooseheads on April 2.
Huggan followed that performance up by scoring what proved to be the seriesclinching goal while shorthanded in Game 4 before 2,400-plus fans in Bathurst, N.B., on April 3.
Huggan’s tally at 8:17 of the second period gave the Titan a 3-1 lead. Acadie-bathurst would go on to win 3-2 to complete the upset sweep.
The Titan completed the regular season with a record of 30-31-3-4, 25 points behind the Mooseheads (42-187-1).
Huggan, named the first star for the second night in a row, also added an assist for a two-point night.
He completed the series with eight points, including four goals in four games.
In addition, Titan rookie forward Dawson Sharkey of Souris, P.E.I., chipped in with a helper.
Defenceman Harry Clements of High Bank, P.E.I., also plays for the Titan, led by general manager and head coach Gordie Dwyer of Stratford, P.E.I.
The Titan will now face the top-seeded Baie-comeau Drakkar in Round 2. The best-of-seven series is scheduled to start in Baie-comeau, Que., on April 12.
The Drakkar (53-12-2-1) swept the Charlottetown Islanders in Round 1.
SQUIRES EARNS ASSIST
Elsewhere on April 3, Cape Breton Eagles forward Cam Squires of Charlottetown earned an assist in Game 4 against the Rimouski Oceanic.
The Oceanic defeated the Eagles 4-3 to stave off elimination in the best-of-seven series. Game 5 goes in Rimouski, Que., on April 5.