BOISBRIAND, Que. – P.E.I. just missed out on winning the province’s first-ever medal at the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Gatorade Excellence Challenge.
New Brunswick tied the game with 1:25 left in regulation time, and then pulled out a shootout win over P.E.I. in the bronze-medal game on Sunday afternoon. P.E.I., which defeated Nova Scotia 5-2 on Saturday, completed play with an overall record of 2-3 (won-lost), which was the best-ever finish for Canada’s smallest province at this event.
New Brunswick 5 P.E.I. 4 (SO)
Nicolas Savoie scored the only goal in a five-round shootout to lift New Brunswick to victory.
Keiran Gallant and Charlie DesRoches each contributed a goal and two assists to pace P.E.I. Ed McNeill and Noah Griffin also scored for P.E.I., which held period leads of 2-1 and 3-2. Marc Richard (2) and Dixon MacLeod added assists.
Matt Jelley stopped 33 of 37 shots in the P.E.I. goal through regulation and overtime.
P.E.I. 5 Nova Scotia 2
MacLeod scored twice and assisted on another for a three-point effort in leading P.E.I. Austin Arsenault (1-1), Devon Howatt and Riley MacDougall also dented the twine for P.E.I., which received assists from Isaac Wilson (2), Griffin, Richard, McNeill and Gallant.
P.E.I. built period advantages of 1-0 and 3-0.
Chad Arsenault turned aside 32 of 34 shots to earn the goaltending win.
P.E.I. Results
P.E.I. results at QMJHLGatorade Excellence Challenge:
Round Robin
Quebec Blue 6 P.E.I. 0.
New Brunswick 5 P.E.I. 2.
P.E.I. 2 Newfoundland and Labrador 1.
P.E.I. 5 Nova Scotia 2.
Bronze-Medal Game
New Brunswick 5 P.E.I. 4 (SO).
