(HALIFAX, N.S.) - The UPEI Panthers had a chance to eliminate the Saint Mary's Huskies and advance to the semifinal round of the 2014 Subway AUS men's hockey championship playoffs.
The Huskies have Stephen Johnston and Anthony Peters to thank for forcing Game 3. Johnston racked up seven shots and scored twice while Peters made 33 saves in a 4-1 victory at the Halifax Forum to even the series at one win apiece.
In the second period, it appeared as if the Panthers would rally from a 2-0 deficit when the Huskies got into penalty trouble. The Panthers managed to cut the lead in half on a 5-on-3 power-play but could not tie the game before Saint Mary's Stephen MacAulay regained the two-goal cushion which the Huskies would protect for the remainder of the game.
The Huskies seized momentum early in Game 2 when they took the lead at 0:56 on Johnston's first goal. The Saint Mary's forward drove wide against a UPEI defender and ripped a hard wrist shot that Wayne Savage mishandled with his glove.
Johnston nearly scored again at 11:45 of the first period when he received a cross-ice pass to the right of UPEI's crease and fired a shot at a wide-open right side of the net. Savage sprawled and snagged the puck to make an outstanding save to keep his team within a goal.
Saint Mary's was able to use their speed through the neutral zone to punish the Panthers and doubled their lead at 8:02 of the second period because of it. Johnston took a Stephen Gillard pass at the UPEI blueline, hurried down the left wing, and showed off his pinpoint accuracy with a snipe over the glove of Savage.
Three minutes later, the Panthers' power-play scored with a two-man advantage to make it 2-1. Reginaldo Traccitto waited for traffic in front of Peters before wristing a point shot right under the crossbar for his first of the playoffs.
At 15:46 of the second frame the Huskies reclaimed their lead and made it 3-1. Ryan Hillier fended off a Panther as he circled the UPEI net and set up MacAulay in the slot for a one-timer that beat Savage to the glove side.
The Panthers were unable to score again as the Saint Mary's defence forced most of UPEI's 15 third period shots to come from the outside, making Peters job easier in net.
Both teams will rest on Saturday before returning to the ice for the series finale on Sunday at MacLauchlan Arena in Charlottetown. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m.
Source: Brian Mosher for Saint Mary's Sports Information