Goaltender Alex St. Arnaud played his first full AUS game and helped the Tommies get their first home win on Saturday. They beat the Dalhousie Tigers 5-2 at the Lou Chabot Memorial Game.
The annual game honours the memory of Lou Chabot, a STU hockey player who died of heart problems in 1990 when he was 22. His mother Pauline participated in the ceremonial puck drop.
Jonathan Groenheyde, the team’s usual starting goalie, was ejected during the home opener the previous night for contact with an official and suspended for at least one game. St. Arnaud got the start and Tyler Piercy dressed as backup. Head coach Pat Powers thinks St. Arnaud was a key player in getting the win.
“He battled through and he was very solid. The guys rallied around him as well. He did everything he had to to get his first victory,” he said.
The Tigers scored 33 seconds into the first period. The score remained 1-0 until Tommies rookie Brendan Childerley scored two goals in the second period. Childerley had a three-point game, and has recorded at least one point in all regular season games this year. Powers said he’s not surprised by Childerley’s skills but is happy they’re being showcased.
The team was hungry after their loss to Acadia and dominated play in the first and second periods. The game was physical, with Alexandre Leduc and Derek Froats leaving the game due to injuries. Froats is expected to be out for several weeks with an injured collarbone.
Powers was thrilled the team showed resiliency after the previous night’s meltdown.
“We talked about playing as a team and we really saw that tonight.”
