Pontiacs Drop to Mariners in Season Opener

The Pontiacs opened up the 2025-2026 season last night with a hard-fought loss to one of the league's best, Manotick Mariners.

The game started with back and forth fast paced action in the first period, with shot totals of 20-15 and the Pontiacs down 2-1 heading into the break. Alexandre Landreville (1G, 1A) posted his first of the year from linemate Joey Brennen (0G, 2A), and also adding in on the play was new comer defensemen Neil Chabot (0G, 1A).

The second period saw the Mariners come out strong and demonstrate why they were in the league's East finals last season. Five goals in the first 6 minutes forced the Pontiacs to make a goalie change, pulling veteran goaltender Danick Boisvert.

Boisvert was replaced by rookie netminder Marc-Antoine Plouffe, who stood tall for the remainder of the match up allowing only 3 goals on 25 shots in his first taste of NPHL action.

The Pontiacs found their way in the third with scoring from rookie forward, Julien Arruda (1G,0A), assisted by Ryan Lee Wadden (0G, 2A) and Alexandre Landreville (1G, 1A). Shot totals had the Pontiacs favored 13-10, showing a resilient attitude and work ethic.

Veteran defenseman and assistant captain, Jean-Robin Mantha had this to say about the Pontiacs season opener, "Even though we came up short on the scoreboard, it was great to see so many new faces on the ice. The game gave us a glimpse of the potential this team has, and we're excited to keep building from here".

Rookie forward, Julien Arruda had this to say, " I really enjoyed my first experience in the new organization. The coaching staff has been excellent with the players, and the new guys were quickly welcomed by the returning veterans. The level of hockey was really high. Of course, we didn't get the result we wanted in our first game. However, we're very happy with the roster we have and outlook on the season.

"We really liked what we saw from our players this evening," said Head Coach Darcy Findlay. "Although the score ended 9-3, it didn't play out as the score shows. We had a very strong first period with missed scoring chances and good jump. Unfortunately, for a 5 minute span in the second period we lost our focus, and a couple bad bounces and goals snowballed into 5 goals pretty quick. We can't afford for that to happen, especially vs. a deeply talented offensive Manotick squad. We learned the hard way that the games played one shift at a time and you need to shake off any misplays immediately or it can cost you big. Overall, our guys competed very hard for the majority of the game. We showed a lot of speed and skill, and demonstrated great leadership. We have a strong group put together that can do special things".

The Pontiacs dressed 9 newcomers to the league vs. a veteran Mariners lineup.

Pontiacs Alexandre Landreville was named 3rd star of the game with 2PTS (1G, 1A).

For complete box scores and breakdowns, check out the league website at https://www.nphlhockey.ca/stats#/988/game/1121011

Don't miss the home opener this Friday, October 10 (7:15pm warm-up) when the Pontiacs take on the Arnprior Rivermen. Tickets are on sale online at https://events.frontdoor.plus/host/237 and also available at the front gate.