The Trois-Rivières Lions were unable to complete their unlikely comeback in their first-round ECHL playoff series, losing the flag 5-2 in the seventh and final game against the Growlers of Newfoundland, Tuesday at Mary Brown’s Center.
In its first year of existence, the school club of the Montreal Canadiens can still boast of having participated in the spring ball, in addition to having forced the holding of a decisive match after having drawn from behind 3-1 in the series. They also went 34-29-5-1 in the regular season, which allowed them to finish third in the North Division.
In the duel of the day, the crowd favorites took the lead late in the first half and never let the visitors back from behind. Tyler Boland was the main executioner of the Mauricie team, he who scored the first and third goals for his team, in addition to being an accomplice in the success of Noel Hoefenmayer.
Ben Finkelstein and Orrin Centazzo, in an empty net, completed the scoring for the Growlers. Goalkeeper Philippe Desrosiers was the victim of these attacks, he who yielded four times out of 26 attempts.
Anthony Nellis and Hayden Shaw, on the power play, respectively in the second and third period, provided the Lions reply. Each time, they reduced the gap to a single goal.
This means that the Lions will have maintained a record of 34-29-5-1 in their first year, which allowed them to finish third in the North Division.