All teams got down to business in the Bell Aliant Peewee AAA Atlantics on Thursday with fast-paced two-way hockey being on special all day at the new CBS Arena. In the opening match, the Pictou County Crushers, Nova Scotia Provincial Champs, started out with a superb offensive attack against the St. John’s Hitmen only to be thwarted by the stellar cage work of Dekon Randell-Snow. The Hitmen eventually rallied back to open scoring on a goal from Andrew Veitch, with help from Owen Wright and Tyler Cook. The Crushers busted through in the third with goals from Lucas Canning (assisted by Cory MacGillivray) and Landon Sim to take the lead before Ronan Whitten (assisted by Kirk Edwards and Logan Cuza) tied the game midway in the final frame. Canning‘s second snipe a minute later proved to be the game winner, with Joseph Mason assisting. Canning and Randell-Snow earned B&B Electrical Player of the Game honors for their efforts. Game 2 featured provincial winners Charlottetown Abbies of Prince Edward Island and Riverview Blues of New Brunswick. The teams battled back and forth through two periods and went to intermission at 2-2 on goals from Alex Mullett and Jack O’Blenis (a highlight breakaway from the PEI Player of the Game) for the Blues and Isaac Vos (Player of the Game) and Landon MacDonald for the Abbies. The Abbies cranked it up in the third period to find the twine for four tallies from the sticks of Cam Squires (3 points), Brett Arsenault, Kal White, and Brennan Murphy. Marshall Snider provided the Blues only goal of the last period. While the Blues shined at times in this match, the Abbies simply looked stronger on this day on the way to a 6-3 victory. The last match of the Bell Aliant Atlantics on Day One saw the Crushers return to the ice against the host Tri-Com Thunder. Led by the excellent back-end play of Liam Marshall (Player of the Game) and the scoring of Braedy Walsh (two goals) the Thunder delighted the hometown fans with a 4-1 victory. The outstanding cage work of Thomas Gariepy (NS Player of the Game) kept the score close with a 37-save performance. Reegan Hiscock and Tanner Hawkins also scored for the winners, while play-maker Jaden Dyke chipped in with a pair of assists. Ben Wallace had the lone Crushers goal. Round robin action resumes at 10am Friday with the Hitmen and Abbies clashing. tp