The first period saw Madawaska put up three goals to the home team’s one, with Jean-Robin Mantha firing one in from the top of the circle on a power play.

Pontiacs head coach Darcy Findlay said that the slow start has become a pattern for the team.

“I don’t know what it is, Friday nights after work or whatever it may be but we started slow, we got behind the eight-ball,” he said. “I gave a little talking-to to the group after the first period about, you know, what it is that goes on here pre-game, to be ready to play right off the hop.”

He added that the Madawaska Valley team was really throwing their weight around, making for the most rough-and-tumble matchup they’d had this season.

“It was a physical game, probably our most physical game this year,” he said. “They were running around trying to throw some big hits. They’ve got some heavy bodies, it’s a completely different style than what we try to play. I thought we adjusted well halfway through the game.”

Shawville came out swinging in the second, finding the back of the net three times, with Mantha getting his second of the night as well as assisting Alexandre Landreville. Joey Brennan got the final goal of the frame on a power play.

Xavier Raby opened up the scoring early in the third to put the home team up by two. Nothing got by Pontiacs’ goaltender Danick Boisvert until the final 10 seconds, when Madawaska’s captain Kelly Summers managed to cut the lead to one goal, where it remained: final score 5-4 for Shawville.

Findlay spoke highly of the Pontiacs’ two stars of the game, Mantha and Brennan.

“Joey’s been good every game this year [ . . . ] he really drives our boat offensively,” he said. “JR, he’s got a hell of a shot in the back end there [ . . . ] it’s phenomenal how he can shoot a puck.”

The evening was also a toy drive for the Angel Tree project, in partnership with Shawville Giant Tiger, which brought in a pile of toys and just over $200 in cash donations.

The Pontiacs’ next game is against the Akwesasne Wild on Dec. 6, as this weekend Findlay is organizing the annual Fish Findlay memorial tournament in support of the Shawville District Minor Hockey Association. The next home game will be on Dec. 12 against the Paugan Falls Rapids.

Shawville’s Keyshawn Francis looks to get around Madawaska’s captain Kelly Summers.

The Pontiacs’ Kyle Lusignan battles for the puck near centre ice.

Jean-Robin Mantha fires in Shawville’s first goal of the game on the power play in the first period.

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