Ryder Howatt Sends Summerside Western Capitals to Semifinals 3-1
Ryder Howatt scored twice to push the summerside western capitals past the Truro Bearcats 3-1 in a Centennial Cup quarter-final on May 15, sending the host team into the semifinals. The win kept Summerside alive in the 10-team national championship and set up a home-ice semifinal on May 16.
Howatt Opens the Score
Howatt started the scoring at 14:33, then added another goal to finish with two. The veteran forward from Cape Traverse, P.E.I., was the difference in a game that stayed tight on the scoreboard but tilted to Summerside when it needed a finish.
“It’s a big stage, obviously,” he said after the quarter-final. “It felt nice, obviously, getting a couple of goals.”
Island Petroleum Energy Centre Crowd
About 2,500 fans were at the Island Petroleum Energy Centre, where the Capitals played as the host team in Summerside, P.E.I. Howatt said the setting added to the night: “There were lots of people here – friends and family – so it was nice to get that in front of them. But as a team, we were unreal.”
The opening goal came after Brennan Murphy made a play in the neutral zone and fed the puck to Justin Ouellette, who finished the pass sequence before Howatt finished in front. Howatt described the setup this way: “Brennan Murphy made a nice play in the neutral zone, and hit me (with a pass),” and later added, “It was a 3-on-1 with Justin Ouellette, who made a nice pass.”
Francais College Longueuil Awaits
The Capitals now move on to face Francais College Longueuil in the semifinals on May 16 at 7:30 p.m. Francais College Longueuil reached that round after finishing first in its five-team division with a 3-1-0 record, and the other semifinal pits the Niverville Nighthawks against the Toronto Patriots at 4 p.m. Toronto advanced after a 7-3 win over the Canmore Eagles in another quarter-final on May 15.
For Summerside, the bracket has tightened around one clear target: beat Francais College Longueuil and stay in line for the championship in front of the home crowd that watched Howatt’s two goals carry the Capitals through the quarter-final.
