Royals emerge victorious in statement game

BY MICHAEL PIASETZKI

Watch the West Island-based Lac St. Louis midget espoir Royals play hockey this season, and it doesn’t take long to realize there really is no secret formula to their success.

This group of 15-year-olds — many of whom have been living and breathing hockey since enrolling in the Webster Academy hockey concentration programs at John Rennie High School in Pointe Claire and École secondaire des Sources in Dollard des Ormeaux since Grade 7 — have combined a solid work ethic with discipline and key goal scoring to rise to the top of the standings.

Nothing changed for the Royals during Saturday afternoon’s statement game at the Dorval Arena against the second-place Outaouais Intrépide. In true yeoman like fashion, head coach Francois Lacombe’s boys rolled up their sleeves, hauled in their lunch pails and took advantage of a Kyle Armstrong goal midway through the third period that broke a 1-1 tie to register a well-deserved 3-1 victory. The win, combined with its fair-play point, put the Royals three points ahead of the Intrépide in the standings with 53, although the Intrépide enjoy two games in hand.

“This game had a playoff atmosphere,� said Lacombe, a former NHL player with Oakland Seals, Buffalo Sabres and Quebec Nordiques who also coached in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and the Quebec Midget AAA Hockey League with the Lac St. Louis Lions. “The Intrépide are a heck of a team, but we didn’t allow them to pin us in our zone. As a coach, you can try to teach your players the tools, but they have to execute. Today, they executed, and in the process, rewarded me.�

Despite the fact it was their second contest in less than 24 hours, the Intrépide, who defeated the Lac St. Louis Predators 6-2 last Friday night at the Denis Savard Arena in Verdun, showed no signs of fatigue. After a scoreless opening frame, Royals forward Ken Matheson gave his team a 1-0 lead with a little over five minutes gone in the second, picking up a lovely pass from Alessandro Giol and beating goaltender Frédéric Piché with a great shot to the right side. Nine minutes later, Matthew Hobbs tied it up for the Intrépide on the power play, beating Royals goaltender Sean Coulton on a shot from the point.

That set up Armstrong’s winner in the third before Ryan Collier scored an empty-net goal with time running out to secure the win.

“I was on a 2-on-1 with Collier,� said Armstrong. “I tried sliding the puck across to him, but it bounced off one of their defenceman into the net between the goalie’s legs. I was just happy to see it go in.�

Armstrong played a very strong third period. However, if first-star accolades could have been handed out, they certainly would have gone to the Royals’ Michael Bellizzi, who hustled throughout, delivered several solid hits and looked very much involved.

“This was a full-team effort from our guys,� said Bellizzi. “We lost to them earlier in the season, so this will be a big boost for our confidence.�