UdeM extends winning streak to four games with victory over Panthers

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Times & Transcript Staff

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CHARLOTTETOWN - Mathieu Richard won't soon forget his first goal with the Université de Moncton Aigles Bleus.

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photo contributed

UPEI Panthers captain Justin Donati gets the puck after he sent a Moncton Aigles Bleus player spinning during first period action yesterday at MacLauchlan Arena in Charlottetown. Moncton won the game 2-0.

The second-year defenceman scored midway through the third period to break a scoreless tie and the Aigles Bleus downed the University of Prince Edward Island Panthers 2-0 in an Atlantic University Sport men's hockey conference game here last night.

The win was Moncton's fourth straight to open the season. The No. 4 nationally ranked Aigles Bleus sit in first place in the conference with a 4-0-0 record.

Moncton managed just three shots in the third period, but struck for a pair of goals when it mattered most.

Richard, who had two assists in 21 regular-season games as a rookie last year, got the Aigles Bleus on the board at 12:38 of the third. The former Moncton Gagnon Beavers junior A standout broke down the middle of the ice, took a nice pass from teammate Mathieu Berube and beat Panthers goalie and former Moncton Wildcat Jhase Sniderman.

Sniderman got a piece of the shot, but it trickled in behind the left post.

Remi Doucet sealed the Moncton win with an empty-netter with seven seconds remaining.

Kevin Lachance stopped 26 shots for the shutout. Sniderman finished with 27 saves for UPEI, now 3-1-1.

Both teams struggled on the power play -- the Aigles Bleus were 0-for-6, the Panthers 0-for-5. UPEI killed off a pair of 5-on-3 power plays and Moncton killed off one.

The Aigles Bleus outshot the Panthers 18-7 in the second period, a frame highlighted by a long parade of UPEI players to the penalty box, but the home team stormed back to outshoot the visitors 9-3 in the third.

Sniderman, who got his first introduction to the UPEI-Moncton rivalry, said he quickly discovered what the Aigles Bleus offence was all about.

"They shoot from everywhere and try to throw pucks in front," said Sniderman, the rookie netminder who credited his penalty killers for keeping his team in the game. "They did a great job. You couldn't kill penalties any better."

In other games last night, the No. 3 University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds beat the St. Thomas Tommies 7-4, No. 7 Acadia Axemen downed the Dalhousie Tigers 6-4 and the St. Francis Xavier X-Men edged the Saint Mary's Huskies 3-2.

Moncton hosts a pair of weekend games, Acadia on Saturday and Dalhousie on Sunday. Both games are set for 7 p.m. at the J.-Louis Levesque Arena.

n With files from Transcontinental Media