Oceanic down Cats at home in Game 5
The Rimouski Oceanic got a pair of goals from captain Jacob Mathieu and a 32 save performance from goaltender Mathis Langevin to defeat the Moncton Wildcats 3-1 in the fifth game of the best of seven Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League championship series Saturday before a capacity crowd at the Avenir Centre.
The Wildcats continue to lead the series 3-2 as the teams travel to Rimouski to play Game 6 Monday at 2 p.m. Atlantic.
The home ice loss was the first for the Wildcats since a January 25 loss to the Oceanic and the first time the Cats have lost consecutive games since September 28-29. The Cats finished atop the league in the regular season with a 53-9-0-2 record and are now 15-3 in the post season overall.
The teams traded first period goals, the Oceanic opening the scoring at 15:05 on Jacob Mathieu’s drive to the net and past Wildcats goaltender Mathis Rousseau. Moncton native Preston Lounsbury tied it up with his eighth of the postseason, pouncing on a big rebound to fire it past goaltender Mathis Langevin at 18:15 to even the count.
The Wildcats came out flying in the early minutes of the second period, outshooting the Oceanic 6-0 through the first five minutes, but it was the Oceanic seizing the lead. Lavigne firing a wrist shot past Rousseau after a face off at 9:05. Following the early flurry at the beginning of the frame, and a frantic flurry in the final minute, the Cats managed just four shots.
They pressed for the equalizer in the third, but Langevin stood tall until Mathieu sealed it with an empty net tally with 1:20 left. The teams go back to Rimouski for the sixth game Monday at 2 p.m. Atlantic. Should a seventh game be necessary, it would be Tuesday night at 7 p.m. at the Avenir Centre.
Both teams advance to the Memorial Cup beginning Friday in Rimouski, joining the Western Hockey League champion Medicine Hat Tigers and Ontario Hockey League kingpin London Knights.
Article by Bill Hunt
Photo: Daniel St. Louis
