Repaci hat-trick leads Huskies over Panthers 6-3

(Halifax, NS)  The Saint Mary's University Huskies beat the University of Prince Edward Island Panthers 6-3 on Friday Nov. 25 at the Halifax Forum in Halifax NS. The win gives the Huskies to a 7-7-1 record and moves them into a tie for fourth in the AUS standings with two games in hand over the Dalhousie Tigers. The Panthers record drops to 5-8-2 and they sit in sixth place.

Eric Brassard (St Huber,t PQ) made 29 saves for the Huskies giving him a 6-3 record on the season.

Anthony Repaci (Toronto, ON) (3,4,5), Bronson Beaton (Springhill, NS) (7), Hunter Garlent (Thorold, ON) and Bradley Latour (Barrie ON) scored the Huskies goals. Beaton added three assists for a four-point night.

Darcy Ashley (Brooklyn, PE) (7), Mitchell Dempsey (Cambridge, ON) (1) and Brent Andrews (Hunter River, PE) (2) were the Panthers goal scorers. Dempsey's goal was the first of his AUS career.

Matt Mahalak (Monroe, MI) started the game in goal for the Panthers and allowed two goals on six shots he was pulled after the second goal at the 17:01 mark of the first. Conor Wilkinson (Ajax, ON) came on in relief and allowed 4 goals on 35 shots in 40:26 of action.

The Huskies started fast picking up their first goal just 0:54 into the game. Stephen Gillard (St John's, NL) forced a turnover at the Panthers blue line on the left-wing wall he poked the puck to Repaci who worked to the dot and fired a wrist shot short-side low blocker, for a goal on the first shot of the game and a 1-0 lead.

The Huskies made it 2-0 at the 17:01 mark of the first. The Panthers won a defensive zone face-off but Beaton won the battle for the puck and slid it behind the net to Repaci.  In the right corner, Repaci fought off a check and worked out towards the half-wall he stopped up at the hash-marks and quickly went back towards the corner.  He then drove across the goal line and fired a bad angle shot from the bottom of the circle that went in short-side for his second goal and the end of Mahalak's night.

The Panthers responded and scored late in the first at the 19:03 mark. With sustained pressure in the Huskies zone, JC Campagna (Dublin OH) sent the puck to Casey Babineau (Truro NS) on the right point.  He fired a low shot on Brassard who kicked out his right pad to make the initial save.  The rebound went right to Ashley in the slot who patiently went to his backhand and sent the puck in past a sprawling Brassard to make the game 2-1 after one.

It only took the Huskies 0:41 of the second to push their lead to 3-1. Off another faceoff in the Panthers zone, Garlent chipped the puck in behind the net and Beaton again won the battle for the puck down low and found Repaci to the right side of the net just off the goal line.  Repaci went short-side from a tough angle once more to pick up the hatty.

The Huskies continued their fast start to periods in the third scoring at the 0:53 mark picking up a goal in the first minute of each period. They took advantage of another offensive zone face-off.  Gillard won the draw clean back to Francis Menard (Embrun, ON) on the left point where he fired through traffic. Wilkinson made the first save and Beaton was there to swat home the rebound for a 4-1 score.

The Panthers made it 4-2 just over two minutes later 3:03 into the third. Beni Berisha (Mississauga, ON) played the puck back to Nelson Armstrong (Peterborough, ON) on the left point.  His shot was tipped in front by Dempsey and off Brassard up into the air before landing in the crease and bouncing in.

At the 14:02 mark the Huskies struck again. Calder Brooks (Emerald Park, SK) held the puck in at the Panthers blue line and swept a backhand to the front of the net. Beaton deflected it to Garlent who picked it up and made a move from left to right across the top of the crease and buried on the backhand to make it 5-2.

The Huskies put the game away under a minute later, making it 6-2 at 15:09 of the third. Latour picked off a pass in the Panthers zone and fired a shot from the board side hash-marks that found its way in for the goal.

Just over a minute later the Panthers cut the deficit to three at the 16:32 mark of the frame. From behind the net Andrews fed Marcus Power (St John's NL) in the slot who fired a shot that Brassard saved and Andrews pounced on the rebound to make it 6-3.

The Huskies outshot the Panthers 41-32.

Up next:

The Panthers stay on the road to face the Acadia Axemen in Wolfville NS on  November 26, while the Huskies host the University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds on Saturday at the Halifax Forum to finish their home games in the first half.

Source By Cam Honey-Webb

Photo Nick Pearce