2018 TELUS Cup

HOUNDS STAY PERFECT, HAND CANTONNIERS FIRST LOSS

OLIVIA BULLEN

SUDBURY, Ont. – Nolan Renwick had a goal and an assist and Zach Plucinski scored the winner on a third-period power play, helping the Notre Dame Hounds stay perfect with a 4-2 win over the Cantonniers de Magog on Wednesday at the 2018 TELUS Cup.

The game matched the last two remaining unblemished teams, but in the end it is the Hounds who sit alone atop the standings with six points from three games.

Right off the opening face-off, both were ready to compete. High intensity, solid puck movement and big hits by Plucinski and Magog forward Gabriel Fontaine set an aggressive tone for the first period.

The Cantonniers took an early lead when a missed clearing attempt by the Hounds found its way onto the stick of Charles Beaudoin, who sniped to the top shelf past Notre Dame goaltender Aaron Randazzo for a power-play goal.

The Hounds responded within three minutes with a man-advantage marker of their own; Nolan Renwick quickly tucked his shot around netminder Olivier Adam, with help from Cordel Larson and Luke Mylymok.

The teams combined for 25 shots on goal in the second period, but only one found the back of the net. Quinn Schmiemann let loose his cannon from the point to give the Hounds their first lead at 6:56 of the middle frame.

Plucinski extended the Notre Dame advantage with a power-play goal less than five minutes into the third period, but Zachary Cadorette pulled Magog back within a goal at 13:46 of the final stanza.

Frantically searching for the tying goal, Magog put Adam on the bench in the final minute, only for Coalson Wolford to take advantage of the open net opportunity and provide the final margin of victory.

Notre Dame is back in action Thursday afternoon, facing the Lethbridge Hurricanes (12 p.m. AT), before the Cantonniers battle the Sudbury Nickel Capital Wolves in their second-to-last game of the preliminary round (7 p.m. AT).