Islanders down Screaming Eagles in pre-season play

Daniel Sprong’s second period goal stood as the game winner as the Charlottetown Islanders skated to a 5-1 pre-season win over the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles Friday evening at Pownal Sports Centre.

Sprong added another goal and helped out on another as Filip Chlapik, Carl Gervais and Mitchell Balmas added singles. Anthony Sorrentino had the lone goal for Cape Breton.

Charlottetown picked up its third pre-season win in as many games. Cape Breton is 1-1-1 through the pre-season.

Islanders defenceman Alexander McQuaid said it was a fun game.

“It was only a pre-season game but for a lot of the veteran guys it was our first time in the line up. We were all excited and couldn’t wait to get out there.”

Matthew Welsh. Photo by Kevin Reid.

Rookie goaltender Matthew Welsh said it was a good game for the Islanders.

“Our team was just relentless on the offence and we played strong defensively and stayed strong in front of our net clearing pucks and we blocked a lot of shots at our blue-line too.”

For 16-year-old Welsh, it was his first taste of QMJHL action. Welsh came into the contest at the 13:23 mark of the second period as him and Daryl MacCallum split the time in goal and stopped all nine shots he faced.

Welsh said it was fast-paced and experienced harder shots than what he was used to in major midget.

“They got a couple of power plays on us and I got to experience different situations and it was good. The team played well in front of me and let me do my job.”
Islanders didn’t waste any time getting on the board as 2015 third-round pick Gervais scored his second of the pre-season at 2:47 to give Charlottetown a 1-0 lead. Brady Griffin-Hefford drew the lone assist.

Cape Breton didn’t take long to respond as Sorrentino tied the game at 5:48 with a power play marker. Jordan Ty Fournier and Phelix Martineau drew assists.

In the second period, Sprong scored on a breakaway at 13:23 to give the Islanders a 2-1 lead. The goal was Sprong’s first of the pre-season.

At the 16:34 mark, Cape Breton’s Colby Tower was assessed a match penalty for slew-footing McQuaid behind the Islanders’ goal.

The power play carried into the third period where Chlapik made it a 3-1 game at 1:32. Sprong and Pierre-Olivier Joseph drew assists.

Sprong added his second of the game at the nine-minute mark to make it 4-1 Charlottetown. Keith Getson drew the lone assist.

Mitchell Balmas wrapped up the scoring with a highlight-reel move around the Cape Breton defenceman and shooting the puck off the cross bar and into the net at 16:29. The goal was Balmas’ fourth of the pre-season. Chris Chaddock drew the lone assist.

Daryl MacCallum was 18-for-19 in 33:23 played in the contest.

Kyle Jessiman took the loss for Cape Breton making 22 saves.

The Islanders play the Halifax Mooseheads on Saturday Aug. 22 from the Rath Eastlink Community Centre in Truro, N.S. Game time is 7 p.m. ADT.

On Aug. 28 and Aug. 30, the Islanders and Quebec Remparts will face-off against each other in the Magdalen Islands.

McQuaid said the trip to the Magdalen Islands is going to be a great time.

“I think we have some team building with a group like this. It’s going to be an awesome time.”

Game time for the game on Aug. 28 is 8:30 p.m. ADT and 7 p.m. ADT on Aug. 30.