Putting a Stripe Down the Back of Les A's

Final Score
Shockers 3
Les A's 2

After losing the season opener by a mere score of 2-0 against a team that went all the way to the finals during the winter season, the Shockers looked to turn things around for game 2 of the summer season.

Shockers, without the big freight train Jeff Jasmin, had to find a solution to their lack of production from game one and fill in a significant void in the backfield. However, making his season debut was Ben Ducharme as he missed the first game for person affairs.

The ball dropped to start the game and the Shockers found the scoring touch early in the game when Tom Derisseau lit the lamp with a howitzer that beat the opposing goaltender roof-daddy, over the shoulder. Soon after, Danny Ballanzano rifled one passed the A's netminder to go up 2-0, his first of the season.

Les A's battled back and popped one past Giancarlo Capaz on the powerplay to come within one, but the Shockers replied with Frank Derisseau chucking the ball past the masked mass of goalie equipment.

But Les A's, not to be outdone, clicked together and chipped another one home to bring the game back to within one.

The Shockers who were running into some penalty trouble kept playing with more fire when Carlo Varano, as the last man back, got pick-pocketed and Les A's forward went on a break away. Ballanzano, luckily, hopped on his horse and managed to short-side the forward and Capaz made the all-important save to conserve the lead.

The Shockers walked away fairly lucky with that win as they were unable to measure up to Les A's last summer, but Francois Hamelin explains what was the difference maker is this time around: "We're a new team and we have a full roster who WANT to play hockey and are not just here to look good in our new shirts. We've got new faces and the new blood in the team in a big refresher."

Speaking of blood, the Shockers got a scare at the end of the third period when a slight skirmish on the surface resulted in Gab Maltais getting high-sticked to the mug; there was no call on the matter despite Maltais bleeding from above the right eye. He is not expected to miss any games due to that injury.