Charlottetown Islanders playing against Rouyn-Noranda Huskies on Thursday, October 19. Photos by Darrell Theriault.
It’s hard to pass up watching your community team play. It’s even harder when tickets and drinks are reduced to $5. In an age of high prices and inflation, $5 booze and $5 tickets are lifesavers for university and college students.
What more could you need?
Therefore, when such factors line up, you have to take advantage.
The Charlottetown Islanders returned to home ice on Thursday, October 19, hosting the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies and their Memorial Cup Champion goalie, William Rousseau.
The Islanders, who are still on a team rebuild after a championship push two years prior, were hoping against all odds to squeak out a win in front of their home crowd.
By the first-period intermission, that hope was slightly blurred, trailing the Huskies by a score of 2-0. Determined still, the Islanders started their slow and painful push to dig themselves back out of the hole left by the first period. Glimpses of this were seen in a power play goal, with the puck finding the back of the net by teammate Lucas Romeo, early in the second period.
Sadly, as progress started, a goal by the Huskies in the late second period returned the dueling teams to two apart.
The Battle Raged On…
By the start of the third period, determination was present on every face of the Islanders, understanding the monumental task ahead of them and its necessity. Patiently, the Islanders planned out their next move, and halfway through the third period, league-leading goal scorer Michael Horth buried the puck in the back of the Huskies’ net. This was essential, gaining back not only a one-goal difference but the faith of the crowd.
The Crowd was sensing a change in course…
With two minutes left in the third period, one goal was needed to tie the game, a goal that would give Charlottetown another chance in an overtime battle. To try and achieve this, the Islanders pulled their goalie, giving themselves a numerical advantage of six players to five. Despite the risky move, the puck got away from them in the Huskies’ zone, and such a mistake cost them their one-goal deficit, and the Huskies gained back their two-goal cushion, all within just one minute left in the period.
After a hard-fought third period, the Islanders would skate off the ice with a 4-2 defeat. Despite the loss on the scoreboard, the Islanders proved not only to their home crowd but to themselves, that they have the means to challenge a top-league team, even with a championship-winning goalie on their roster.
Oh well, you win some and you lose some.
One can never go wrong with attending student night at the Eastlink Centre. Five dollars to watch some guaranteed good hockey, and another $5 for booze in case you want to forget it the next day.
By: Devon Thistle
Managing Editor