News919

Moncton, NB

Jeff Robichaud, News 91.9FM

Moncton Wildcats got off to the start they were looking for but it wasn’t enough tonight as the Acadie-Bathurst Titan defeated the Cats by the score of 4-3.

Moncton totally dominated the veteran Titan in the opening 20 minutes taking a 3-0 lead to the dressing room.

Alex Saulnier opened the scoring early in the first period when finding a big rebound off the pats of Robert Steeves just 3:08 into the game. James Melindy and Patrick Down collected the assists on Saulnier 4th of the season. Then 5 minutes later the Wildcats would make it 2-0 when Marek Hrivik would have just enough weight on his slap shot to trickle under the pas of the Titan goaltender and it would be his first of the season a power play marker at 8:58. Erik Robichaud in his 2nd career Q game tipped a Samuel Roussy slap shot from the point over the glove of Steeves to make it 3-0 that goal coming at the 10:27 mark. Shots in the opening 20 minutes were 10-9 for Moncton.

But the 2nd period the reverse of the 1st period happened when the Titan dominated the Wildcats for the first 12 minutes of the frame. Sebastien Trudeau with his forth of the season he buries a beautiful pass from Zach O’Brien past a sprawling Roman Will and it was a 3-1 game at the 2:24. Olivier Houle drawing the other assist on the Trudeau goal. Christopher Losier would tip home a Matthew Bissonnette cross crease pass and finds the back of the net at 6:31 just as the Wildcats had killed off a 5-3. O’Brien with another assist and it was 3-2 Wildcats. The Titan would complete the comeback when Olivier Houle would put home his 1st of the season and it was a 3-3 game with just under 10 minutes left in the second. I would remain that way and the teams would head to the dressing room tied at 3. Shots after 40 minutes were 20-17 for Moncton.

The 3rd period would start with the teams playing 4 on 4 then Devon MacAusland would finish his check in which the referee would call a charging penalty on #91 and the Wildcats were short handed early in the third period. At the 0:59 mark of the 3rd Zach O’Brien continues his strong start of the season with his 6th on a 4 on 3 man advantage to put the Titan up 4-3 early in the 3rd. Trudeau and Mirko Hoefflin would pick up the helpers on the power play marker. It would remain that way for the remainder of the period and the Titan leave the Coliseum with a 4-3 win and improve their record to 3-0 on the season.  Final shots on goal were 26-24 for Acadie-Bathurst.

Wildcats see their record fall to 1-2 on the year and they get ready to host the PEI Rocket Thursday night at the Coliseum game time is 7:00 PM and we will have the pre-game show on News 91.9FM starting at 6:30.