EDMUNDSTON, Nouveau-Brunswick – A very special and historic day for two Edmundston Blizzard rookies on Sunday afternoon at the Jean-Daigle Centre.
Dylan Lang and Mitchell McLeod scored two goals apiece to propel the Blizzard to a 7-4 win over the Miramichi Timberwolves. These were the first two goals for the two rookies in the Maritime Junior Hockey League. The crowd of 2,583 spectators gave them heavy applause for the feat.
Lang, who lives in the Saint-Jacques sector of the city of Edmundston, is the one who shook his teammates who were trailing 2-0 after the first period. On a 2-on-1 rush, Lang opted for a wrist shot that beat Olivier Charbonneau between the legs. This goal, at 10:49, was the only one of the second frame.
Spectators then witnessed a dash of eight goals in the third period. Miramichi took a 3-1 lead before collapsing by allowing five goals in a row to Emery Olauson’s troupe, including Lang’s second goal that tied the score at 3. A short time later, Mitchell McLeod scored twice, including the last, with the help of Lang, who put the score 6-3 in favor of the Blizzard.
Chrystopher Collin (1g, 1a, winning goal), Tristan Mercure (1g, 1a) and Tommy Bertrand (1g) completed the score for the Blizzard who now sits first within the league’s Eastlink North Division with a record of seven wins and one loss, the same record as the South Shore Lumberjacks, leaders of the Eastlink South Division.
Jason Imbeault (2g, 1a), Kennedy Gallant (1g, 1a) and Walker Campbell (1g) lodged the puck behind Blizzard’s goalie Antoine Lyonnais.
Blizzard outshot Timberwolves 36-28. Lang (1st), M. McLeod (2nd) and Mercure (3rd0, all with the Blizzard, earned the stars of the game.
For the second time in less than 24 hours, Edmundston managed to come back from a deficit in the third period to get the win. On Saturday against Yarmouth, Blizzard was behind 4-3, while today the team was trailing 3-1.
The Blizzard will face for the first time this season the Fredericton Red Wings (5W, 2L) next Thursday (7 pm) in the provincial capital.
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Photo
Dylan Lang (81) and Mitchell McLeod (18) each scored twice on Sunday. (Photo archives Digiphoto)
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Contact: Hugues Chiasson, Edmundston Blizzard vice-president communications; (506) 740-0623 – cell phone