Getson leads charge in 7-1 pre-season win over Sea Dogs

Keith Getson. Photo by Kaitlin Arseneault. Used with permission.

Keith Getson scored a hat-trick to lead the Charlottetown Islanders to a 7-1 win over the Saint John Sea Dogs in pre-season action Saturday afternoon at the Pownal Sports Centre.

The Islanders are now 2-0-0-0 in the pre-season as Saint John is now 1-1-0-0.

Mitchell Balmas added a pair of goals as Shawn Boudrias (1-2) and Josh Shatford also tallied goals for the Islanders.

“It feels great,” said Getson on the hat-trick. “It definitely gets the confidence up and it feels good.”

The team played great, said the Bridgewater, N.S., native Getson.

“It was a good physical game and we played a good 60 minutes and it was awesome.”

Getson, 17, was one of five returning players in the line-up for Charlottetown. He said new head coach Jim Hulton has the players working harder.

“He demands a lot of work from us and that’s awesome. He’s a great coach.”

Although playing 63 games with the Islanders last season, Getson said he is trying prove himself he can stick by playing physical.

“I’m playing hard every shift and giving my 100 per cent and everything.”

Boudrias, Charlottetown’s 13th overall pick in 2015, also said it was a good game.

“We worked hard and played well in our zone..every worked hard and we buried it.”

Boudrias is still trying to prove himself to make the team this season.

“Even if I went in the first round, I don’t care, I come here to work hard and try to make the team.”

Getson opened the scoring at 7:27 with a power play marker to give the Islanders a 1-0 lead. David Comeau and Dominic Reid drew assists.

At the 10:09 mark, Saint John’s Matthew Green tied the game with Céderic Paré drawing the lone assist.

In the second period, Balmas gave Charlottetown a 2-1 lead at 6:08 with his second goal of the pre-season. Boudrias and Comeau drew assists.


Just 13 seconds later, Balmas scored off a face-off with an unassisted tally to give the home side a 3-1 advantage.

Charlottetown took a 4-1 lead with Getson scoring his second of the game at 13:25 on the power play. Comeau and Lucas Sangster drew assists.

Shatford increased the lead to 5-1 with his first of the pre-season at 19:15. Boudrias drew the lone assist.

In the third period, Boudrias gave the Islanders a 6-1 lead at 16:07. Jack Desroches and Chris Chaddock drew assists.

Getson scored his third of the game at 17:29 taking advantage of a breakaway for a 7-1 lead. Andrew Murphy and Sangster drew assists.

Olivier Chalifour and Guillaume Briand-Briere shared time in net for Charlottetown. Chalifour was awarded the win and was 13-for-14. Briand-Briere stopped all 15 shots faced.

Alex D’Orio started for Saint John and was 17-for-20. Alex Bishop was 20-for-24 between the pipes.

The next pre-season game for Charlottetown is Friday Aug. 21 at 5 p.m. against the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles at the Pownal Sports Centre.

Prior to the game, the Islanders officially acquired goaltender Guillaume Briand-Briere from the Victoriaville Tigres for an 11th-round pick in 2016.

Briand-Briere was attending Charlottetown’s training camp on loan from the Victoriaville Tigres. The Tigres drafted Briand-Briere in the third round of the 2013 QMJHL Entry Draft.