The Vankleek Hill Cougars and the Gatineau-Hull Volant are hammering away at each in the NCJHL finals series.
Gatineau leads the series two games to the Cougars’ one after the first three matches in the series. The Cougars home game last Friday saw Vankleek Hill charge ahead for a 4-1 lead at the end of the first inning, only to have the Volant make a comeback attempt in second period, with the game finishing in the Cougars’ favour by one point more on the scoreboard.
Series start
The Volant won the first game of the series 4-1 on their home ice last Wednesday.
Connor Cook scored for Vankleek Hill, with help from Reid Cunning to leave the first period of the game tied at one point each. Gatineau dominated the play in second and third period to take the win.
In the Cougars Den
The Cougars won their first home game of the series last Friday night with a 5-4 score.
The first period belonged to the Cougars with three goals for Vankleek Hill scored during the first half of the period. Gatineau called a short timeout with the coach giving his players an on-ice lecture from the Visitors bench. After the break Volant assistant captain Julien Arruda scored the team’s first goal only to see another Vankleek Hill point added to the scoreboard thirty seconds later by Garrett Cunning.
Scoring for Vankleek Hill in first period were Cunning and team captain Andy Lightle-Blais with two goals each. Helping Cunning with his goals were Malcolm Séguin, Brenden Easterbrook, and Bruno Laframboise. Assisting Lightle-Blais were Jacob Crete, Callum Nystrom, and Séguin.
Arruda earned a hat trick for himself and two more goals for Gatineau in second period. With the Cougars leading 4-3 in third period Lightle-Blais, assisted by Séguin extended the lead by another point. Gatineau got a short-handed goal about six minutes before the end of the period but it was not enough to prevent a 5-4 win for Vankleek Hill.
Sunday lead
The Volant took the lead in the finals series Sunday with a 3-2 win on their home ice.
Jacob Crete scored both goals for the Cougars, with assists from Alexandre Chenier and Alexander Perry in first period and from Malcom Séguin in second.
The Cougars host the Volant, Wednesday evening, April 2, with the next game in the series Friday in Gatineau. Both teams may be back in Vankleek Hill Saturday, with the final games of the series, if necessary, in Gatineau on Sunday.
