Rocket 2nd Pre-Season Game
Rocket Pick Up First Pre-Season Win Against Sea Dogs
By Nolan Reid
Second-overall sensation, Alexis Pepin, fuelled the P.E.I. Rocket with two goals on route to a 6-5 win over the Saint John Sea Dogs in pre-season action in Pownal Saturday afternoon.
After last night’s 6-2 loss to Saint John, the Rocket have now evened their pre-season record to 1-1.
For the second straight night, Alexandre Chenier-Allard led the Rocket in scoring with a goal and two assists.
Everyone played better than last night, said Chenier-Allard.
“We got a little messed up yesterday but today the system was going right and everything was good.”
The Rocket opened the scoring 31 seconds into the game on a goal from Louick Marcotte. Chenier-Allard and Matt Bursey drew the assists. Deverick Ottereyes gave the Rocket a 2-0 lead at 15:15.
In the second period, Saint John cut the lead in half with a powerplay goal from Mackenzie Brown at 2:31. Rocket then took a 3-1 lead with a goal from Chenier-Allard at 12:12 before Saint John made it a one-goal game once again with a powerplay marker from Justin McDonald. Alexis Pepin regained the two-goal lead for the Rocket with 2:02 remaining in the frame.
The Sea Dogs struck early into the third period with a powerplay goal to make it a 4-3 game at 3:10, before Pepin snipped home his second of the game a minute later. Marcus Cuomo scored 46 seconds later for Saint John to cut the Rocket lead to one. The Rocket regained the two-goal lead once again, with a goal from Daniel Perigo just a minute and two seconds later. Saint John rounded out the scoring with Brock Morrison’s marker at 15:28.
The back-and-forth third period was a result of the team being tired from yesterday’s loss, said Chenier-Allard.
“As Gordie says ‘Always come back to your feet and everything will be great.’”
Antoine Bibeau made 11 saves through the first two periods. Charles-Oliver Lajoir started the third period making five saves.
Alex Fournier made 21 saves for Saint John before being replaced midway by Richard Tingley who made 12 saves.
The P.E.I. Rocket are back in preseason action on Friday Aug. 31 when they travel to Bathurst to battle the Titan. The next Rocket home game is Saturday Sept. 8 in a pre-season tilt against the Acadie-Bathurst Titan.