AMHERST, N.S. – The Amherst CIBC Wood Gundy Ramblers built up a 4-0 first period lead and saw it disappear in the third before Alex Lafreniere scored the only goal in a shootout as the Ramblers nipped the Summerside Western Capitals 6-5 on Saturday night.
The win came 24 hours after a 6-3 in Yarmouth Friday night over the Eastlink South Division-leading Mariners.
“I thought we had a very good first period, getting a 4-0 lead, but I thought the game last started to creep in as the game went on and during the second period you could tell the boys were starting to run out of gas against a very good team,” Ramblers coach and GM Jeff LeBlanc said. “In the third period I found we were standing still a lot and that’s not how we play, our game is speed.”
LeBlanc said he’s very proud of how well his team faced adversity after a very early morning getting back from an emotional win in Yarmouth. He did say fatigue took its toll in the second period against Summerside in the form of some undisciplined penalties and a pair of power play goals that allowed the Caps back in the game.
Will Lafford scored twice in the first, Stephen Fox and Michal Sivek with his first of two on the night gave the Ramblers a 4-0 lead after one, but Kallum Muirhead and Jesse Annear scored power play markers in the second to cut the lead in half.
Dylan Riley scored just 25 seconds into the third when the puck got caught up in wet ice in front of the net and the Rambler defenceman over skated it and Riley put it behind Joel Goguen.
Sivek came back just 22 seconds later, banking the puck off a Summerside player and by Dominik Tmej to restore the two-goal lead.
Cam Roberts pulled Summerside to within a goal at 7:38 of the period and Brodie MacArthur tied it at 12:44.
Neither team scored in overtime, setting the stage for the shootout in which Lafreniere – the final shooter – scored the lone goal.
Thomas Ashe, Michael Sivek, Casey Fox, Dawson Grenier, Caleb Rich and Nick Snow added assists for Amherst. Jesse Annear and Brodie MacArthur each had two assists for Summerside with Jacob Arsenault, Kallum Murihead and Dylan Riley each adding one assist.
Joel Goguen stopped 39 of 44 shots for Amherst with Dominik Tmej stopping 28 of 33 shots for Summerside.
On Friday, Hunter McIntyre, Will Lafford and Casey Fox scored third period goals in a 6-3 win at the Mainers Centre.
Caleb Rich, Cole Waugh and Lafford with another goal also scored for Amherst.
Alex Lafreniere, Bradley Dawe, Michal Sivek, Cole Darrach, Colton McKenna and Caleb Rich added assists.
Brent Boarders scored twice for Yarmouth and Logan Timmons also scored.
Matt Williams stopped 26 of 29 shots for Amherst in the win.
