RAPIDS FALL SHORT AGAINST RAMBLERS
AMHERST – The Amherst Ramblers scored five unanswered goals and held on to a 5-4 victory Thursday night on home ice against the Grand Falls Rapids.
It was the first of a three-game road trip for the Rapids who now fall to 13-8-2 on the season while still holding a 2-point lead over the Chaleur Lightning atop the Eastlink North division standings.
Despite trailing 5-0 after two periods of play, the Rapids never quit and scored four times in the final frame to cut the Amherst lead to a single goal.
Grand Falls outshot its opponents 43 to 28 while dominating the last forty minutes of play 25 to 15.
Anthony Morin and Darien Reynolds gave the Ramblers a 2-0 lead after twenty minutes of play.
The Ramblers scored three times in the middle frame on goals by Anthony Gaudet, Cooper Cormier (power play goal) and Thomas Gagnon.
The Rapids did play, however, a solid second period, getting the advantage in puck possession and time spent at the opposing end.
Grand Falls scored its first goal at 8:14 of the third period on a power play goal from Loic Francoeur, his first of the game. Then at 10:02, Jonah Leard took control of a rebound in front of the net, scoring his 10th of the campaign to bring the score to 5-2.
Isaac Allard added the Rapids’ third goal at 11:45, beating Ramblers’ netminder Brandon Lavoie on a rebound. Loic Francoeur, with his second of the contest and his 11th of the season, made it 5-4 with a low wrist shot with less than two minutes remaining in regulation time. It was another power play goal for Francoeur, his 6th of the campaign.
The Ramblers did however hold on for the victory, their 14th of the season.
Adam Lecours was the starting goaltender for the Rapids. Jeremy Thibodeau-Soucy came into the third period to complete the game.
Even though the comeback fell short for Grand Falls, lots of character was shown on the ice as the never-quit mentality remains a strength from this squad since the start of the season.
The Rapids will play their next game on Friday night in Truro at 7:00 pm.
EXTRA NOTES …
*Loic Francoeur (2g 1a) and Jonah Leard (1g 2a) both led the Rapids in scoring on Thursday night.
*The Rapids went 2 for 3 on the power play while Amherst scored once on 3 PP opportunities.
*The three stars of the game: 1- Brandon Lavoie (AMH); 2- Anthony Gaudet (AMH); 3- Loic Francoeur (GFR)
Patrick Thibault
Scoring
| 1st | |||
| 8:50 | AMH | Anthony Morin (5) ASST: Elliot Wright (7) | |
| 18:34 | AMH | Darien Reynolds (6) ASST: Zach Wheeler (4), Ty Peddigrew (8) | |
| 2nd | |||
| 11:44 | AMH | Anthony Gaudet (7) ASST: Cooper Cormier (15), Jeremie Richard (7) | |
| 14:24 | AMH | Cooper Cormier (12) ASST: Anthony Gaudet (26), Owen Aura (24) (PP) | |
| 16:57 | AMH | Thomas Gagnon (10) ASST: Jack O’Blenis (9), Patrick Lambe (3) | |
| 3rd | |||
| 8:14 | GFR | Loic Francoeur (10) ASST: Jonah Leard (19), Nathan Plamondon-Michaud (11) (PP) | |
| 10:02 | GFR | Jonah Leard (10) ASST: Loic Francoeur (18), Patrick Baxter (8) | |
| 11:45 | GFR | Isaac Allard (5) ASST: Jonah Leard (20), Dereck Asselin (6) | |
| 18:23 | GFR | Loic Francoeur (11) ASST: Nathan Plamondon-Michaud (12), Reid Calder (6) (PP) |