2010 RBC Cup

GOALS, GOALS AND MORE GOALS AS BRAVES ROUT BLADES

DAUPHIN, Man. – Twelve years after they left the National Junior A Championship without a victory, the Brockville Braves made sure that wouldn't happen again – in a big way.

Zak Zaremba and Scott Arnold each had a hat trick and two assists and David Roy added two goals and three helpers as the Braves (1-0) hammered the Oakville Blades 11-2 on Sunday afternoon in the 2010 RBC Cup debut.

The game marked the first time in 14 years a team had reached double digits in an RBC Cup game – Melfort beat Newmarket 11-3 in 1996 – and tied the record for most goals for, which had been reached five times previously.

The Blades (0-2) actually pulled to within a goal at 3-2 early in the second period before the floodgates opened; Brockville scored the game’s final eight goals, taking a 7-2 lead after 40 minutes and adding four more in the third.

It was Oakville who struck first – Dustin Alcock converted a gorgeous cross-crease feed from Kellan Lain to open the scoring just 5:23 in, but goals from Zaremba, Arnold and Shayne Thompson pushed the Braves into a 3-1 lead heading into the first intermission.

A goaltending change after one period seemed to spark Oakville when Mark McGowan cut the lead to 3-2, but Brockville’s special teams took over, scoring twice on the power play and once shorthanded before the horn sounded to end the second period.

With little to determine except whether or not the Braves would hit double digits, Roy’s second of the game made it 10-2 before Zaremba completed his hat trick in the dying seconds to equal the record previously set by Orillia (1985), New Westminster (1990), Vernon (1990), Olds (1994) and Melfort (1996).

Alex Boak and Mike Skakum had the other goals for Brockville, which outshot Oakville 44-29.

The Blades will have the day off Monday before facing Vernon on Tuesday in a must-win game (2 p.m. CT), while the Braves take on the host Dauphin Kings in Monday’s lone game (7 p.m. CT).