The intensity button got cranked up at the Bell Aliant Peewee AAA Atlantics on Day 2 at CBS Arena and the Tri-Com Thunder were at the forefront, picking for a pair of victories to remain undefeated in the showcase tournament. Charlottetown Abbies jumped out to a 3-0 lead after two periods in the opening Day 2 contest against the St. John’s Hitmen (0-2) a pair of goals from Cameron Squires and a solo marker from Jamie Collins (Player of the Game) and hung on for a decisive 3-1 victory over the Newfoundland and Labrador squad. Abbies goalie Jack Howatt earned his second victory in the blue paint but lost his shut-out bid late in the third on a goal from speedy Thomas Chafe with Hitmen goalie Cruz Loughlin pulled for an extra attacker. Michael Fallows was awarded B&B Electrical Player of the Game for the Hitmen, creating numerous scoring opportunities for his team. The second match of Day 2 featured the host Tri-Com Thunder and the Riverview Blues (0-2) of New Brunswick, with the host team eventually winning 6-4 in a fire fight. Liam Kelly and Mitchell Wagner gave the Thunder to a 2-0 lead before Marshall Snider got credit for a Thunder miscue in front of the net with under a minute to play in the first to narrow the score. A power play deflected goal by Dylan Pineau (Player of the Game) pulled the New Brunswick provincial champs even early in the middle frame, before they jumped ahead on a scramble goal from Jonah Jelley near the ten minute mark. The Blues enjoyed a big advantage in puck possession in the period but failed to convert it to goals. The Thunder responded late with a second goal from Wagner, a classic “put the garbage out” effort, to even the score at 3-3 after two periods. A blue line turnover led to a short-handed breakaway marker by Marco Martin on Thunder goalie Caleb Loveless to push the Blues ahead 4-3 early third. At the 11 minute mark the Thunder began to roll as a slick passing play resulted in a James Noonan goal on a screened Brody Oxford in the Blues cage to lock things up at 4-4. Jaden Dyke (Player of the Game) then split the D and popped the top corner with less than three minutes to play to clinch it for the Thunder (2-0). Braedy Walsh added a late insurance marker to close out the scoring. In game 3 of the day, the Pictou County Crushers improved to 2 and 1 by defeating the Charlottetown Abbies 6-4. The Abbies scored on their first shift against the Pictou County Crushers thanks to Bates Ling’s snipe against goalie Thomas Gariepy. A wrap-around goal from Joseph Mason on goalie Sam Casford tied it minutes later. Abbies took the lead back on a short-handed effort by Ling for his second of the contest. Landon Sim got a shortie of his own to knot it up at 2-2 before the period buzzer sounded. Mason’s second and a dangle beauty from Lucas Canning allowed the Crushers to gain an early second period lead. Arsenault slipped one by Gariepy to make it 4-3 before Liam Berthiaume regained the Crushers two-goal spread before the end of two. Mason got his hattie as a result of a late goal to move the Crushers to 6-3 and Abbies countered with the final marker from Ling for his own hat trick. The Thunder and Hitmen tangled in the showcase hometown game to wrap up Day 2 and the Thunder delivered a convincing 5-0 performance. A classic back and forth battle ensued to the glee of the large crowd in the first but the host squad eventually took control of the game. Jaden Dyke was first to strike, a power play goal for the Thunder in the first. Thunder’s power play struck again in the second period with Reegan Hiscock beating Hitmen’s Dekon Randell-Snow to widen the lead heading into the third. Hiscock then set up James Noonan for a goal with just 3 seconds to play in the second period to make it 3-0 Thunder. Noonan sniped his second midway through the third and Tanner Hawkins scored the fifth for the Thunder. JT Tobin (Player of the Game) picked up his second cage win for the host team with his 26 save shut-out. Thomas Chafe was rewarded for his hustle with the Hitmen’s Player of the Game. tp