Huskies ride potent power-play to 6-0 win over Panthers

(Halifax, NS) The Saint Mary's Huskies scored early and often on their way to a 6-0 victory over the UPEI Panthers Halifax Forum.

The Huskies move to 3-1-1 on the season and sit in a tie for third in the AUS with the Acadia Axemen. The Panthers fall to 2-3 and fifth in the early season standings.

The Huskies were in control throughout, outshooting the Panthers 35-22. The home-side capitalized on the man advantage going five-for-five on the power-play.

Aaron Berisha (Mississauga, Ont.) and Anthony Repaci (Toronto, Ont.) each netted two power-play tallies. Stephen Johnson (Moncton, N.B.) and Stephen Shipley (Ilderton, Ont.) scored the other two goals.

Eric Brassard (St. Hubert, Que.) picked up his first shutout of the season and improved his record to 3-1.

Hunter Garlent (Thorold, Ont.) picked up three helpers in the contest.

Mathew Mancina (Windsor, Ont.) got the start for the Panthers and made 20 saves on 24 shots while picking up the loss and falling to 1-2. Matt Mahalak (Monroe, Mich.) came in with five-minutes left in the second. He made nine saves on 11 shots. Both were in tough, as the Panther penalty-kill gave up a lot of first rate scoring chances.

Berisha got the scoring going just 1:37 into the first. The Huskies won an offensive zone face-off on the power-play and moved the puck to Garlent on the right point. He worked up the wall and fed Shipley on top of the right-crease. Shipley made a quick pass to Berisha who snapped a one-timer low blocker from the right-slot hash-marks.  

Repaci made it 2-0 with his third of the year just over five-minutes later. Just like on the first goal, the Huskies won an O-zone faceoff on the power-play. Dylan DiPerna (Nobleton, Ont.) got the puck on the left-point off the draw. He quickly went across the blue-line to Mark Trickett who ripped a one-timer on goal. Mancina made a right-pad save and the rebound went to Repaci who went backhand-forehand goal from the low left-slot.

Repaci picked up his second power-play marker at the 15:26 mark of the first. With the Huskies in control in the Panthers zone, Garlent swung it down low to Bronson Beaton (Springhill, N.S.). Beaton worked behind the net and slipped a pass to Repaci all alone in the slot. He fired a one-time snap shot low glove for a 3-0 lead.

Johnson made it 4-0 Huskies 15:01 into the second. Just after a Panthers power-play expired, he stole the puck in the neutral-zone and raced in on the left wing. He made a quick move to pull the puck into his feet and change the shooting angle, before snapping it home low-glove from just inside the left-dot.

Berisha notched his second power-play goal with 20-seconds left in the middle frame. Working with a two-man advantage the Huskies passed the puck around the perimeter in the Panthers Zone. Jake Coughler (St. Catharines, Ont.) moved it down to Garlent just below the left-circle. Garlent made a nice feed to Berisha in the slot and Berisha ripped a catch-and-release wrister low-blocker.

Shipley made it 6-0 with another Huskies' power-play goal 57-seconds into the third. Calder Brooks (Emerald Park, Sask.) and Coughler played catch on the blue-line before Coughler fired a one-timer on goal. Mahalak made the initial save and Shipley crashed the net to knock home the rebound.

Up Next the Panthers travel to Wolfville N.S. to play the Acadia Axemen. The Huskies stay home to host the UNB Varsity Reds at the Halifax Forum. Both games drop the puck at 7:00p.m. ADT on Saturday, Oct. 21.

Cam Honey-Webb, SMU Communications

Photo Nick Pearce