Groulx Scores Two In Rough Contest

Eight or nine games a season and a 3 hour drive between cities has kept the rivalry between the Halifax Mooseheads and Moncton Wildcats alive even with the changes that happen every year in junior hockey. That rivalry really showed this evening as non-calls and frustrations caused a fight and a line brawl in the second period. Once again, the Mooseheads got on the board first after Benoit-Olivier Groulx scored his 21st of the season 3:36 into the game. More than 10 minutes later number 19 scored his second of the game to give the home team a 2-0 lead on a power play. Moncton were able to get one past Alex Gravel before the first period ended as Jakob Pelletier recorded his 25th of the year but that would be all Gravel would give up on Saturday night, making 24 saves. The always smiling Samuel Asselin scored to extend Halifax’s lead just 19 seconds into the middle frame. A little over 14 minutes later, Justin Barron would get hit behind the net and Patrick Kyte would stick up for his teammate, dropping the gloves with the Wildcats’ Dylan Seitz in a very good tilt. Both would get 5 minute majors. Just 63 seconds after that, more roughness happened by the Herd net and everyone on the ice grabbed a partner which filled the penalty boxes after the referees figured out what disciple should be handed out. A couple of goals in the third finished the scoring and gave the good guys their 32nd victory of the year.

FINAL: Wildcats 1 at Mooseheads 5
Stars: 3. Samuel Asselin HAL | 2. Jared McIsaac HAL | 1. Benoit-Olivier Groulx HAL
Attendance: 9,717
MC’s Top Herd: n/a

GAME LOG
First period
3:36 HAL Benoit-Olivier Groulx (21) | A: Sansfacon & Dube
14:29 HAL Benoit-Olivier Groulx (22), PP | A: Asselin & Morand
17:39 MON Jakob Pelletier (25), PP | A: McKenna & Khovanov

Second period
0:19 HAL Samuel Asselin (32) | A: None

Third period
2:22 HAL Arnaud Durandeau (22) | A: McIsaac
11:29 HAL Raphael Lavoie (21) | A: McIsaac & Parent

Shots: 29-25 in favour for Halifax
Powerplay: MON – 1-for-5; HAL – 1-for-3

NOT DRESSED – Jake Ryczek, Ostap Safin, Maxim Trepanier and Jocktan Chainey were out with injuries

SCORES
Voltigeurs 6 at Phoenix 1
Cataractes 1 at Drakkar 5
Sagueneens 2 at Remparts 1
Sea Dogs 2 at Foreurs 4
Islanders 1 at Huskies 8
Oceanic 4 at Olympiques 1

UP NEXT – The two clubs will meet again in a week to finish this home and home series in Moncton on January 26. Puck drops at 7pm.