Saturday 4 February 2012

Tommies keep playoff hopes alive with win over X-Men

If you missed the final matchup of STU vs. ST-FX at the old LBR, well sorry for you, because you missed a dandy.  Tonight's game had a little of everything - scoring, hat tricks, penalty shots, and rough stuff - with STU coming out on top 6 to 3.

The X-Men and Tommies were both desperate for a win tonight and their play showed it.  STU was on the board first at 3:56 when Steve Sanza (Cameron, Bonneau) hammered home a one-timer to get the game rolling.  X replied late in the first when Brennan Wray just barely snuck one by Charles Lavigne in the STU net.  Period ended tied at 1's.

Jordan Scott (Poulin, Cheremetiev) scored on a rebound, as the Tommies retook the lead at 5:21 of the second, but X replied on the powerplay to tie the game again at 11:20.  It stayed that way heading to the third when things would get interesting.

With the playoffs on the line the Tommies came out hard in the final period.  Andrew Andricopoulos (Poulin, Sanza) fired a laser beam from just inside the blueline to retake the lead.  Jonathan Bonneau (Sanza, Poulin) would stretch the lead at 8:27 when he rushed down the left wing side and fired a shot that Joseph Perricone bobbled right into the net. 

St-FX replied back a minute and five seconds later to make the score close again at 4 to 3 but Jonathan Bonneau (Cameron, Van Laren) gobbled up a greasy rebound on a 2 on 1 with Randy Cameron to regain the two goal cushion. 

The fun really started at 15:39 as Jonathan Bonneau was awarded a penalty shot.  Bonneau would deposit the puck five hole for the hat trick and a three goal lead.  This seemed to be the trigger as X brought the dirt shortly after. 

With 2:25 to go in the game Chris Morehouse found himself in front of Perricone, who immediately took exception to his presence, and started swinging.  After 70 minutes of penalties were handed out, none for fighting, the Tommies were awarded a powerplay. 

The peace was short lived as Scott Brannon ran Jordan Scott over and Andrew Andricopoulos, who isn't known for his fighting presence, immediately stepped up to defend his teammate.  Not long after Kyell Henegan came in for a piece of the action as well. All of this took place at 18:07 and another 43 minutes of penalties were handed out.  STU had a two man PP for most of the last 1:53.

Troy Ryan called a time out, settled the troops, and must have told them to play out the third without embarrasing the X-Men, as STU didn't even attempt to shoot the puck on net.

With the win the Tommies sweep the season series with X and pull four points back of them for the final playoff spot in the AUS.  It really was a less than stellar showing for St-FX and their disappointment/frustration got the better of them tonight.  Lets leave it at that.

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