Western Capitals Earn Four Points in Three-Game Weekend

By Reegan MacAulay

The Summerside Western Capitals earned four of six possible points in three games over three days, bouncing back from a tough road loss to the Pictou County Crushers with two home wins over the Yarmouth Mariners.

Summerside opened the weekend Friday night with a 7-2 loss to the Crushers at the Pictou County Wellness Centre. The Western Capitals struck first when Aiden Diamond opened the scoring at 18:44 of the first period. Pictou County responded with five second-period goals, turning a one-goal deficit into a commanding lead. Declan MacLauchlan added Summerside’s second goal at 10:25, but the Crushers scored twice more in the third to secure the 7-2 victory.

Head coach Billy McGuigan pointed to the team’s need to stick to its game plan when reflecting on the loss.

“I just think we got away from our game plan,” McGuigan said. “We played selfish hockey, and then we ended up back on our heels.”

The Western Capitals returned to Credit Union Place Saturday for their annual Halloween Game, facing the Mariners for the first time this season. Summerside delivered a much stronger performance, blanking Yarmouth 4-0.

Ouellette opened the scoring at 14:37 of the first period. Rookie forward Ashton Campbell followed with his first career Maritime Hockey League goal at 15:34 of the second. Owen MacPherson added another late in the period at 19:29, and Ouellette rounded out the scoring at 9:21 in the third to secure the shutout victory.

Max Picard turned aside all 27 shots he faced to record his second career shutout, while Ouellette earned first-star honours.

For Campbell, the milestone was a welcome reward as he continues adjusting to junior hockey.

“It’s taken a little longer than I would’ve liked, so it definitely felt good to get it done,” Campbell said. “The boys here are great; they definitely treat you well. I’ve gotten really close with Owen MacPherson and Aiden Diamond. They’ve been taking me under their wing, so it’s been great.”

The Western Capitals carried that momentum into Sunday’s matinee rematch during the Kids Run the Show game, but the Mariners made them work for their second win of the weekend.

Cade Moser and Lane Sim helped Summerside build an early lead with goals at 0:32 and 9:35 of the first period. While Yarmouth got on the board late in the frame, Ouellette and the Western Capitals responded seven seconds into the second period. Later, Ouellette scored on a power play 16 seconds into the third period to make it 4-1.

The Mariners mounted a late rally, scoring three goals in 5:50 to erase the three-goal deficit and force overtime.

Neither team found a winner in the extra frame, forcing a shootout – the third in five home games for the Western Capitals. Sim and Ouellette scored, while Picard stopped both Yarmouth attempts to secure a 5-4 victory and complete the weekend sweep of the Mariners.

Despite the win, Sunday’s matchup was another test of Summerside’s endurance after three games in three days. McGuigan acknowledged the demands of the schedule, particularly with a smaller group, and felt his team controlled much of the matchup.

“Three in three is a tough schedule, and we’re a smaller group,” McGuigan said. “I thought we dominated today’s game. There were some unfortunate breaks; we took a bad penalty at the end and got scored on the power play. They tied the game 4-4, and then we had to win in a shootout, but four out of six (points) is awesome.”

Ouellette finished the three-game stretch with four goals and three assists for seven points, earning first-star honours in both home victories. His weekend production continued a strong season for the overage forward, who has emerged as Summerside’s leading scorer and is currently on a four-game point streak with eight points.

“It was a good bounce back,” Ouellette said of the two home games. “(The weekend) started rough, but we were able to turn it around pretty quickly and come back and get four points at home, which is absolutely huge. Putting in the work since I got to junior hockey, it helps having good guys to play with; just grateful to be here and to have the opportunity to play with them.”

McGuigan praised Ouellette’s all-around contribution over the weekend, noting his effort beyond the scoring.

“Justin’s an offensive player, and he’s here to score goals, get points,” McGuigan said. “We were trying to get him to compete a little harder in different areas, and he really did that this weekend. He led our offence, and I felt he was a very valuable part of our team, so it’s nice when he scores.”

The two home victories extended Summerside’s perfect record at Credit Union Place to 5-0. McGuigan credited the comfort and familiarity of playing at home while recognizing the entertainment the team has provided its supporters.

“It’s a lot of things, but it just feels really nice to be home,” McGuigan said. “If the fans are here watching games, they’re getting their money’s worth every night.”

Following the weekend, Summerside sits third in the Eastlink South Division with an 8-6-0 record, two points behind Truro and two ahead of Amherst. The Western Capitals rank fifth in the overall league standings.

Summerside now faces another stretch of three games in three days next weekend, this time entirely on the road in Nova Scotia. The trip begins Friday, October 30, against the league-leading Valley Wildcats in Berwick. The Western Capitals will then head to Yarmouth for back-to-back games against the Mariners on Saturday, October 31, and Sunday, November 1.

Looking ahead, McGuigan emphasized the importance of building consistency as the team moves through the early part of the season.

“We just got to continue with the process,” McGuigan said. “It’s a long season, and we’re still early in the season. We just got to get better at practice this week and continue to move forward.”