In the last week of the first half of the Atlantic University Hockey Conference season the top team continued its winning streak while the middle of the conference bunched up closer and the last place teams even got some points for a change.
Wednesday was a big night, as # 3 ranked University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds traveled to Moncton to play the # 1 ranked Universit de Moncton Aigles Bleus. This was not a good night for UNB as the team in Bleu et Or scored three goals in the first 5:06 of the game against rookie Michael Ouzas (Hamilton, ON), with the second and third goals coming in a ten second span. Pierre-Luc Laprise (Jonquire, QC) scored the first two goals for UdeM. V-Reds coach Gardiner MacDougall called a time-out to settle down his troops and it appeared to work as Colin Sinclair (Brooks, AB) netted the powerplay marker 66 seconds later. In the second period UNB saw what little momentum they had evaporate when Remi Doucet (Petit-Rocher, NB) scored at 14:47 on the powerplay to restore the three-goal Moncton lead. Sparkplug Glenn Robichaud (Tracadie-Sheila, NB) added another before the end of the period for UdeM. Just 24 seconds into the third period Darryl Boyce (Summerside, PE) worked the two-on-one to perfection with Brad Efthimiou (Mississauga, ON) but that was it for the V-Reds and Aigles Bleus captain Scott Toner (Grand Falls, NB) got the last goal of the game at 12:51 on the powerplay as Moncton cruised to the 6-2 final score. Final shots favoured Moncton a humbling 43-21.
In Antigonish, the StFX X-Men were into their third consecutive overtime game, and the second in a row to go to a shootout. Yet again StFX came out on top, and this time rookie Chris Hulit (Sault Ste Marie, ON) was the hero against the improving but hard luck Dalhousie Tigers who in turn lose their second in a row in a shootout and third in a row in overtime. Final score was 4-3. Also on Wednesday the Acadia Axemen skated to a 3-1 win over the Saint Mary's Huskies in Halifax.
Friday night the Axemen were hosting the X-Men in Wolfville. No overtime this night, but all of the scoring occurred in the third period as X scored an even-strength, powerplay and empty net goal for the 3-1 win, even though the visitors were outshot 38-27 on the night and 13-8 in the final frame. In Charlottetown the visiting St. Thomas Tommies were short staffed against the UPEI Panthers as Miguel Delisle (Cornwall, ON) was sitting out due to a two-game league suspension for his fighting major against Moncton, while Nick Theriault (Oromocto, NB) and Matt Seymour (Fredericton, NB) were suspended internally by St. Thomas for two games and one game respectively for actions off the ice during the Moncton game. STU scored the first two goals of the game, but UPEI's previously struggling powerplay responded with two goals in the first period and another early in the second period to take the lead. The Panthers added an even-strength goal in the period and two more in the third period. The Tommies finally got back on the scoreboard when captain Kyle McAllister (Cornwall, ON) connected on the powerplay at 12:25. The Panthers ended their eight-game winless streak with the 6-3 win, and six different Panthers scored in the victory.
There was only one game Saturday to close out the first half, and this time UPEI was hosting UNB. The Panther success didn't continue this night as V-Reds veteran Stacey Smallman (O'Leary, PE) scored just 22 seconds into the game and added another on a deflection of a Craig Perry (Elnora, AB) point shot at 2:56. UNB captain Dustin Friesen (Waldhain, SK) added another goal at 4:12 and Panther coach Dylan Taylor opted to take a timeout to change the momentum. UNB scored again early in the second period before UPEI got on the scoreboard at the midpoint of the game as Cory Vitarelli (Peterborough, ON) finally beat Michael Ouzas in the UNB net. In the third period David Bowman (St. Catherines, ON) gave the V-Reds the fou