MACISAAC SCORES TWICE IN THIRD AS TITANS, JR. KNIGHTS SKATE TO TIE

ST. JOHN’S, N.L. – Patrick MacIsaac scored his second goal of the third period with just 1:34 remaining to help the Halifax Titans earn a 1-1 tie with the London Jr. Knights in Thursday’s early game at the2011TELUSCup.

MacIsaac’s goal came just 34 seconds after Matthew Schurr had given London a 2-1 lead, putting the Jr. Knights (0-2-2) in position to earn their first win of the tournament.

But MacIsaac slipped into the slot in front of Craig Wood and snapped a shot past the London goaltender, giving the Titans (1-2-1) an important point in their quest to play in Saturday’s semifinals.

Both Wood and his Halifax counterpart, Shawn Jeffrey, were solid between the pipes – Wood finished with 34 saves, while Jeffrey turned in a Player of the Game performance with 38 stops.

It was the Jr. Knights who hit the scoreboard first early in the first period, with Mike Mandarelli converting on a London power play for a 1-0 lead, one that stood up for the next 44 minutes as Wood and Jeffrey traded saves.

Halifax finally pulled even midway through the third period on a power play of its own when MacIsaac cut to the net and slipped a shot past Wood, but Schurr drove to the net on a two-on-one with Paul Hopkins, tipping home the go-ahead goal at 17:54 and setting up MacIsaac’s late heroics.

London won’t find out its fate until the conclusion of play on Thursday, but could be eliminated from semifinal contention by the time it hits the ice against the Vancouver North West Giants onFriday (noonNT),while the Titans wrap up the preliminary round when they face Winnipeg in Friday’s afternoon contest (3:30p.m. NT).