Nationals road game cancelled
Tonight’s Federal Hockey League game between the Cornwall Nationals and the St. Clair Shores Fighting Saints has been cancelled.
Cornwall had bus issues on Sunday morning and could not make the 800-km trip to Michigan.
The Nationals are back on home ice next weekend with a pair of contests at the Ed Lumley Arena in the Civic Complex.
On Saturday, Jan. 28, the Nationals host the Port Huron Prowlers at 7:30 p.m. And on Sunday, Jan. 29, Cornwall takes on the Berlin River Drivers at 2 p.m.
Nats victorious as locals shine on home ice
CORNWALL ONTARIO – The locals came through for the Nationals on Saturday night as Cornwall skated to a 4-2 victory over the Watertown Wolves in Federal Hockey League action at the Civic Complex.
Alexandria’s Joel Trottier led the Nationals with a two-goal effort, while Cornwall native Jason Lepine picked up two assists and was named the game’s first star in front of an announced crowd of 814.
With the victory, the Nationals climbed to within six points of the Wolves for the final Federal Hockey League playoff position. Cornwall still has three games in hand on Watertown.
Mark Petaccio opened the scoring for the Wolves 10:34 into the contest when he beat Cornwall’s Francis Dupuis with a perfectly placed wrist shot from the slot.
Trottier leveled the score with his 8th of the season at 16:12 of the opening frame when he stripped a Watertown defenceman of the puck and buried a shot past goaltender Danila Alistratov.
Moments later, a trio of locals gave Cornwall the lead with a pretty tic-tac-toe play. Sean Rudy, of Long Sault, took a pass from Lepine and immediately found a wide open Trottier, who one-timed a shot past a helpless Alistratov with 57.5 seconds to play in the first.
Akwesasne’s Ian Boots, left all alone in front of the Watertown net, scored his first goal for the Nationals on a backhander at 5:42 of the second.
Watertown’s Petaccio scored his second of the night, a powerplay marker, at 12:22 of the second.
The speedy MJ Graham added a shorthanded goal at 5:33 of the third, finishing off a nice passing play with Sylvester Bzdyl and Lepine, to give Cornwall a 4-2 lead.
Dupuis, a 25-year-old netminder from Orleans who spent the last four seasons with Carleton University in U SPORTS, was impressive in his first start in goal for the Nationals.
Cornwall outshot Watertown 31-29. Lepine (first), Trottier (second) and Boots were the announced stars.
The Nationals are back in action Sunday evening at St. Clair Shores. Game time is 8 p.m.
Cornwall is back on home ice next weekend with a pair of contests at the Civic Complex. On Saturday, Jan. 28, the Nationals host the Port Huron Prowlers at 7:30 p.m. And on Sunday, Jan. 29, Cornwall takes on the Berlin River Drivers at 2 p.m.
ROAD LOSS: On Friday night at St. Clair Shores, Zachary Zulkanycz scored twice and added an assist to lead the Fighting Shores to a 4-2 victory over the Nationals. Rudy, with his first of the season, and Darick Ste Marie had the Cornwall goals. Paul Bourbeau Jr. was spectacular in goal for the Nationals with a 47-save performance.
Morning Jamie,,,, great game last night ! The attendance was about 850 fans. The “bus issues” that too place this morning , causes concerns to me ? Was this a legitimate issue with the bus, or something else ? Figured, you’d set me straight ? lol