Oceanic win a Thriller

Press Release

RIMOUSKI, Que. -- Patrice Cormier started a four-goal second period as the host Rimouski Oceanic upset the sputtering Windsor Spitfires 5-4 on Sunday at the MasterCard Memorial Cup.

The Oceanic evened their record at 1-1, redeeming themselves after a tournament-opening 4-1 loss to the Kelowna Rockets. The Spitfires dropped to 0-2 in round-robin play and face a must-win game Tuesday against the Western Hockey League-champion Kelowna Rockets.

Jordan Caron, Patrick Delisle-Houde and Luka Cunti had goals as Rimouski scored four times on only eight shots against Andrew Engelage, who gave up another to Logan MacMillan in the opening minute of the third frame.

Greg Nemisz made it a one-goal game at 9:34 of the third and the Spitfires pressed for the equalizer, playing six attackers for the final 1:25, but failed to beat goaltender Maxime Gougeon.

Ryan Ellis, Dale Mitchell and Andrei Loktionov also scored for the Spitfires, who for a second straight game looked nothing like the No. 2-ranked junior team in Canada. Windsor was beaten 3-2 in overtime by the Drummondville Voltigeurs on Saturday.

Drummondville and Kelowna, both 1-0, face one another on Monday night.

A scoreless first period with chances at both ends was marked by defenceman Ellis's open-ice hit 2:49 in that sent Oceanic star Keven Veilleux to the dressing room briefly for repairs to his mouth.

At the buzzer, Cormier drew two penalties as he was roughed up in a corner, giving the home side a long power play to start the second. It produced the first goal, as Cormier was sent in alone to beat Engelage.

Ellis tied it with a blast from the point on a power play at 6:19 and Mitchell trailed in to fire Scott Timmins' pass behind Gougeon just as a Rimouski power play ended at 8:50.

The draft-eligible Caron looked sharp as he carried the puck in from his own blue-line to score at 10:45 and the 4,744 at the Colisee erupted in noise as Deslisle-Houde made it 3-2 on a shot from the slot after a face-off win in the Windsor zone at 14:48.

Pittsburgh prospect Veilleux made a nifty move to feed Cunti for another Rimouski goal at 16:32, but Loktionov got it back at 18:22 after some strong forechecking by the visitors.

The Spitfires started the third on a power play, but MacMillan got a break and was stopped. Engelage failed to cover his post for a bad-angled second attempt that beat him short side at 0:34.

Nemisz was in front to convert Loktionov's pass with 10:26 left to play but the Spitfires were unable to tie it as Rimouski had four skaters back to protect the lead.

Notes: Rimouski coach Clement Jodoin said veteran defenceman Maxime Ouimet will not play in the tournament due to mononucleosis. Defenceman Ryan Kavanagh returned to the line-up after missing the opener with a virus, taking William Plourde's spot. Ilya Silik and Nicholas Samoluk sat out a second game. . . . Forward Austin Watson was replaced by Adam Wallace in the Spitfires' line-up.


(Nathan also is a writer for Maineiacs Post to Post and the Maine Hockey Journal. He can be reached at fourniern@students.nescom.edu)