Panthers rally past Moncton for gutsy 3-2 home victory

The UPEI Panthers finally looked like the team they believe they can be.

Panthers rally past Moncton for gutsy 3-2 home victory
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October 17, 2025

By Thomas Becker

The UPEI Panthers finally looked like the team they believe they can be.

Fuelled by relentless pressure and timely goals, the Panthers (2-3) battled past the Université de Moncton Aigles Bleus 3-2 Friday night at MacLauchlan Arena—a gritty, confidence-building win for a group determined to turn its season around. 

Leading the way was Colby Huggan, who scored once and assisted on the game-winner, while Keiran Gallant added a shorthanded goal and Robert Orr buried the decisive tally midway through the third. Goaltender Jakob Robillard was steady in net, stopping 19 shots. 

UPEI came out flying and set the tone early with speed and physicality. Their aggressive forecheck paid off just 2:54 into the game when Gallant turned sheer hustle into a shorthanded goal. After Moncton (4-2) goaltender Olivier Adam mishandled a clearing attempt behind his net, Gallant jumped on the loose puck and wrapped it in for the 1-0 lead. 

"Coach is always stressing being aggressive," Gallant said. "Cole (Larkin) made a great effort to break up the play, and I just got a jump on the puck and got a lucky bounce."

The Panthers continued to control play through the first period but couldn't extend their lead before Moncton responded in the second. Mika Cyr tied the game at 4:18 with a quick short-side shot, and Jeremy Lapointe followed up five minutes later to push the visitors ahead 2-1. 

At this point, momentum had clearly swung Moncton's way. But with 24 seconds left in the period, Huggan flipped the script. The rookie forward seized on a loose puck near centre ice, raced in alone, and beat Adam on the breakaway to tie it 2-2.

In the third, the Panthers' determination carried them the rest of the way. At 11:59, Huggan again factored in—skating through the neutral zone, stopping up, and sliding a perfect pass to Orr, who fired a wrist shot from the left wing that beat Adam for the eventual game-winner.

Robillard stood tall in the closing minutes, turning aside several dangerous chances to preserve the win.

Afterward, Gallant said the victory reflected the team's growing chemistry.

"We got off to a bit of a slow start, but I think every game we've been getting better." he said. "It's huge getting guys like Benny (McFarlane) and (Elias) Cohen back—you could see they were flying out there. It's a close league, and I think we have a chance to put up some numbers this year." 

The Panthers look to carry that momentum into Saturday night's road clash with the powerhouse UNB Reds.

Photos by Janessa Vanden Broek