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CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — It is a game that players, coaches, team support staff, officials, fans and rink staff will never forget.

The Cornwall-based Mid-Isle Matrix and Charlottetown’s Central Attack needed four overtime periods and just under 117 minutes of playing time to decide Game 4 in the P.E.I. Under-18 AAA Male Hockey League championship series on April 20 at MacLauchlan Arena on the UPEI campus in Charlottetown.

“People run marathons faster than that game took to play. I don’t know how they were still standing at the end of it.” – Morgan Rice

“People run marathons faster than that game took to play,” said Attack head coach Morgan Rice of the game that started at 6:40 p.m., and ended just past 11 p.m. “I don’t know how they were still standing at the end of it.”

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Carson MacDougall scored off his own rebound 6:52 into the game’s seventh period to give the Matrix a 4-3 victory and the provincial championship. Mid-Isle, which finished the regular season in first place at 16-4-4 (won-lost-tied), claimed the best-of-five series 3-1.

“They don’t really have it in the coaching handbook what to say going into overtime (period) 4,” said Matrix head coach Dylan Sanderson. “They haven’t taught that in any coaching course I’ve been to.

“Basically, by that point, it’s a mental game and who’s going to make a mistake first, and that’s what it came down to. It could have went either way; both teams are pretty even.”

Both coaches agreed it is a shame that one team had to lose the game. Rice said the teams stuck to hockey as there were only three minor penalties called against each team in the game.

"It was just a good, hard-fought hockey game," added Rice.

The game capped an extremely close final – all four games were decided by one goal. After the Attack won the opener 2-1, the Matrix responded with a 2-1 win in Game 2, and a 1-0 decision in Game 3. Central completed regular-season play in third place at 12-8-4.

The story of the series was the goaltending of Mid-Isle’s Noah Visser, who was named the most valuable player of the playoffs, and Central’s Shannon MacDonald, who combined to allow only 14 goals in the four games.

“It was definitely a goaltending performance all series long,” said Sanderson. “Usually, minor U18 AAA hockey is high-scoring, offensive affairs. This series was all defence.”

“It was definitely a goaltending performance all series long. Usually, minor U18 AAA hockey is high-scoring, offensive affairs. This series was all defence.” – Dylan Sanderson

Mid-Isle’s Ryder Howatt found the back of the net with 6:27 left in the third period to tie the score 3-3 and force overtime.

Jakob MacEwen (1-1) and Braeden Tremere also scored for the visiting Matrix, who is based out of the APM Centre. MacDougall and Howatt added assists for two-point performances.

Jack Roberts registered two goals and an assist to lead the Attack. Victor Steele also scored. Connor Pierce (2), Andrew MacIntyre and Landon MacDonald chipped in with assists.

“You have to appreciate your opponent, too, because it’s never easy losing those games, either,” said Sanderson. “You have to give a lot of respect to Charlottetown.

“They played hard and Morgan Rice kept the boys into it. Down 2-1 in the series, they fought right to the end. We have a lot of respect for them.”

Asked how they approached the overtime periods, both coaching staffs had similar approaches during the intermissions. They stressed encouragement, positive reinforcement and identifying mistakes.

“The kids were pretty good to be self-driven and took over themselves and ran with it,” said Rice. “At the end of it, you have to admire everyone who played in that game.

“As a coach, you feel you let them down. You always tell them that if they work that hard they will get rewarded. I couldn’t ask them to work any harder; it’s physically impossible.

“The kids were cramping up on the bench, and they just kept going.”

Jason Simmonds is a sports editor with the SaltWire Network in Prince Edward Island. @JpsportsJason

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