Donald Teuma-Castelletti
FORT COULONGE
Oct. 13, 2018
Cheers erupted from the bleachers Saturday night when a Maniwaki Forestier player tripped over the puck in his own end, offering Pontiac Senior Comet’s Louis-Philippe Carle the chance to rush his opponents and fire in their fifth goal of the night at their home opener in Fort Coulonge.
But even this amazing combo of luck and skill wasn’t enough to put the Comets far enough ahead, as Maniwaki scored twice more in the third, beating the home team 6-5 in a hotly-contested match as the Outaouais Senior A Hockey League season continues.

Celebrations started strong for the home team, as the Comets saw over 350 excited fans pack the arena for the home opener. The evening began with a formal introduction to both the Maniwaki team and the local lads by the voice of the Comets, Phil Denault, before Pontiac MP Will Amos shared a few words with the crowd.
As well, the real senior Comets took the ice, when some of the guys who wore the green and yellow jerseys of yesteryear joined the two teams lined up in the arena.
Once Amos delivered the ceremonial puck drop, the action got started right away. Forestier Julian Dumont scored first in the game, but the Comets bit back.
With just a minute left in the period, Francis Desforges, assisted by Liam Poirier and Lucas Driscoll, sunk one deep. Then, with six seconds left, Guillaume Grégoire scored unassisted, putting the Comets ahead 2-1.
The second continued to produce high hopes for the home team, when Grégoire fired in another, assisted by James Kirkwood and Johney Cormier, at five and a half minutes in.
But tension loomed as Maniwaki started their comeback in the latter half of the second. Forestier Kodiak Whiteduck kicked off the competition when he scored 12 minutes in, and Joey Kistabish would continue this momentum with another goal when there was only 20 seconds left on the clock.
Thanks to Stéphane Paré’s unassisted goal for the Comets in this period, the home team held their lead entering the third with the scoreboard reading 4-3.
Both teams held up strong defenses in the third until Maniwaki’s Neil Chabot scored nine minutes in. Pontiac fans cheered loud as Carle made his net-rushing advance, but a couple of late-period goals would cinch it for the Forestiers.
Whiteduck would lead his team to victory, scoring the last two for Maniwaki in the final quarter of the period.
This was the Comets’ second loss of the season, after they met the Cumberland Bandits in Orleans on Oct. 6. The Bandits won this game 8-5, but not before the Comets rallied in the latter half of the game to put up a good fight.
Amos, ahead of the home opener, said he was proud to see the Pontiac Senior Comets become a reality, especially as the stands are so packed with Pontiac hockey fans.
“Everything that’s local is gaining in popularity,” he said. “Local sports, local food, local culture, local events – this is sort of a mix of all of that.”
As well, since Maniwaki is also a part of his riding, he looks forward to seeing a bit of healthy competition develop.
“The players who are in the building tonight are from across this riding, and the cultures of hockey are fabulous, both in the Gatineau Valley and in the Pontiac,” said Amos. “This [match-up] has the makings of a great long-term rivalry so it’s just another reason to be excited about living in the Pontiac.”
Next up, the Comets take on the Cornwall Prowlers in Cornwall on Oct. 20, before meeting the Forestiers once again on Oct. 26 in Maniwaki. The home team returns to home ice to face off with Cornwall on Oct. 27, with the puck dropping at 8 p.m.