The Halifax Mooseheads made a dynamic return to home ice at the Scotiabank Centre following a season-opening loss in Charlottetown. In their first match on home turf, the Mooseheads quickly energized the crowd when Jasu Mensonen scored just 3:25 into the first period, marking his second goal of the season.
Continuing their offensive aggression, Halifax struck again just over two minutes later. William Bent, in his first game of the season, netted a goal past the Islanders’ goalie Vincent Gladu, pushing the score to 2-0 in favor of the Mooseheads. However, the visiting Charlottetown team responded at the 10-minute mark when Jude Herron scored his first goal of the season while the Mooseheads were shorthanded, reducing the deficit to 2-1. The Islanders then equalized the score at 2-2 with Nathan Leek's quick strike at 13:41 of the first period, sneaking the puck past Halifax goaltender Owen Bresson.
After the first intermission, the Mooseheads came out strong, regaining their lead just 59 seconds into the second period. Quinn Kennedy found the back of the net, supported by assists from Shawn Carrier and Oleg Kulebyakin. The second period, however, remained uneventful aside from that goal, leaving the score at 3-2 in favor of Halifax as the teams headed to the final frame.
In the third period, Charlottetown managed to tie the game again, this time with a shorthanded effort from Anthony Flannagan at the 4:28 mark. The intensity of the game ramped up when Shawn Carrier redirected a shot from Eddy Doyle at 14:34, reinstating the Mooseheads’ lead at 4-3. But the Islanders weren’t finished; Flannagan answered back just 35 seconds later, scoring his second of the game and locking the score at 4-4.
With the regulation time ending in a deadlock, the match headed to overtime, marking the first overtime contest for the Mooseheads this season. An early tripping penalty on Oleg Kulebyakin put Halifax on the defensive 1:33 into the extra period, but the Mooseheads successfully killed off the penalty, maintaining the tie. As the overtime concluded without a winner, the game progressed to a shootout.
In the shootout, Halifax secured the win with goals from Jasu Mensonen and Quinn Kennedy, outscoring their opponents and taking the match with a final decisive performance. For his outstanding play throughout the game, Shawn Carrier was awarded the first star, while Charlottetown’s Anthony Flannagan received the second star, and Carlos Handel was named the third star.
Looking ahead, the Halifax Mooseheads are set to return to action next Friday when they host the Saint John Sea Dogs at the Scotiabank Centre, continuing their quest for success in the season ahead.
