Islanders use shootout to down Titan in exhibition play

Mitchell Balmas scored the lone shootout goal as the Charlottetown Islanders edged the Acadie-Bathurst Titan 5-4 in a shootout Friday night in pre-season action at the K.C. Irving Regional Centre in Bathurst, N.B.

Kameron Kielly and Alex Goulet had a goal and an assist each for the Islanders. Daniel Sprong added two assists. 

The Islanders pick up their first win of the pre-season and have a 1-2-0-0 record. The Titan falls to 1-1-0-1 in pre-season. 

Bathurst opened the scoring just 4:07 into the contest with Nathan Medeiros netting a power play goal for an early 1-0 Titan lead. Andrew Ryan and Bronson Beaton drew assists. Shots were 13-8 Titan after the first period. 

In the second period, the Titan took a 2-0 lead with Christophe Boivin netting a power play goal at 5:06. Nicolas Dumulong and Francis Thibault drew assists. The Islanders cut the lead in half with Kielly netting a power play goal at 10:38 with Will Thompson and Sprong drawing assists. Shots were 15-8 in favour of the hometown Titan.

Dexter Weber tied the game for Charlottetown with a power play marker 4:17 into the third period. Kielly and Sprong drew assists. Moments later, Balmas gave the Islanders their first lead of the game with his second of the pre-season at 4:54. Goulet drew the lone assist. The Titan tied it at three with Nicholas Blanchard scoring at 13:05 with an unassisted marker before Jeffrey Truchon-Viel re-gained the Titan lead at 13:45. Like much of the third period, the Titan lead didn't last long as Goulet tied the game 4-4 at 14:08. For the third straight period, the Islanders only registered eight shots on goal while the Titan mustarded 21 shots. 

Balmas scored on the first shootout opportunity for the Islanders and Samuel Guilbault was stopped. Shooting for Bathurst were Jordan Maher, Juraj Mily and Ryan. 

Mason McDonald started for the Islanders, playing the first and second periods going 26-for-28 for shots. Newly acquired Chase Marchand was 19-for-21 in the third period. 

Jacob Brennan played the first and second periods for the Titan allowing one goal on 16 shots. Daniel Vautour made five saves in the third period. 

The Islanders return home for an exhibition tilt against the Moncton Wildcats on Sunday Aug. 24 at 4 p.m. at the APM Centre in Cornwall.