RECAP: Sea Dogs win 4-2

FINAL: Saint John 4, Val-d’Or 2

By Kevin Chambers | SN Staff

VAL-D’OR – The Saint John Sea Dogs’ five-game, 11 day Quebec road trip ended on a winning note on Saturday.

The Sea Dogs brought forth another excellent effort in Val-d’Or, coming from behind twice to defeat the Foreurs by a score of 4-2. The win gives the Sea Dogs nine of a possible 10 points on their road trip.

Goal scorers for the Sea Dogs were Mathieu Joseph (two), Jakub Zboril, and Spencer Smallman. Alex D’Orio remains undefeated in his QMJHL career, improving to 3-0-0 after stopping 18 of the 20 shots he faced.

Julien Gauthier and Ivan Kozlov were the goal scorers for the Foreurs while Etienne Montpetit was excellent in net, stopping 39 of 42 shots.

To the notes…

• The Foreurs opened the scoring at 10:45 of the first when Kozlov got a piece of a point shot that squeaked through D’Orio.
• The Sea Dogs would get their first goal of the game off the stick of Joseph at 6:56 of the second period. Joseph skated in shorthanded and fired a bullet past Montpetit, knotting the game at 1-1.
• Later in the period, Cole Reginato would take a double minor for high sticking and Julien Gauthier made the Sea Dogs pay. Gauthier hammered home a one-time shot five-hole on D’Orio at 9:32, making it 2-1 Val-d’Or.
• The Sea Dogs returned the favour with a power play marker of their own at 18:33. Zboril unloaded a point shot that just managed to find it’s way through Montpetit, squaring things up 2-2 just before the period came to an end.
• Smallman would give the Sea Dogs their first lead of the night at 6:31 of the final period. A loose puck squirted into the slot where Smallman snapped it by Montpetit, giving the Sea Dogs a 3-2 edge.
• Joseph secured the victory by poking a puck past a Val-d’Or defender and into an empty net at 19:43 of the third.
• Gauthier celebrated his 19th birthday with his first goal of the season.
• Matthew Highmore’s three point night gives him 175 as a Sea Dog, tying him for sixth all-time with Tomas Jurco.
• Smallman picked up two points, giving him 153 in his Sea Dogs career and passing Nathan Beaulieu for 10th all time.
• Bailey Webster picked up his first point of the season by assisting on Joseph’s empty net goal.
• Highmore won an impressive 21 of 27 faceoffs (77.8%).
• The two points moves the Sea Dogs into a first place tie for top spot in the league with the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies.

LINEUP:

Dove-McFalls - Highmore - Joseph

Smallman - Noel - Imama

Grzelewski – Pare - Green

Reginato - Quinney - Leblanc

Zboril - Stewart

Bernier - Green

Felixson – Webster

D’Orio

Bishop

SCRATCHES: The Sea Dogs were without Thomas Chabot (Ottawa Senators); John Warren, Gabriel Bettez, Kyle Ward and Joe Veleno (injuries); and Vincent Martineau and Bryson Michel (healthy).

TURNING POINT

The captain doing captain things by scoring a big goal for his team. In the third period, Spencer Smallman’s snap shot eluded Etienne Montpetit, giving the Sea Dogs the lead for good.

SN PLAYERS OF THE GAME

1. Mathieu Joseph

2. Etienne Montpetit

3. Matthew Highmore

TWEET OF THE GAME

This is some serious dedication: in Alberta watching soccer in the snow while listening to the Sea Dogs game. You win, sir.

@TimGRoszell @SJSeaDogs @ForeursVD @NewSongFM GO DOGS GO listening to the game on a cold snowy day watching soccer pic.twitter.com/9nH2MYfLdo

— Johnathon Phillips (@oilbarons2011) October 15, 2016

NEXT GAME
The Sea Dogs finally make their way back to Harbour Station for a date with the Acadie-Bathurst Titan on Wednesday night. Game time is 7 p.m.