The Ste. Anne Aces are still perfect in the 2016-2017 Carillon Senior Hockey League playoffs.

Brock Bram's shorthanded goal 3:29 into the third period was the winner as the defending champion Aces defeated the Red River Wild 3-2 in game one of the best-of-seven CSHL final Thursday night in Ste. Anne.

The Aces are 5-0 in the post-season.

Stephane Pattyn and Yvan Pattyn staked Ste. Anne to a 2-0 lead before game one was barely six minutes old.

The Wild, who had eliminated the Springfield 98's less than 24 hours earlier in game seven of their semifinal, got power play goals from Cole Brunet and Brendan Heppner early in the middle frame.

The score stayed that way until the third period when Bram potted his shorthanded marker with Erik Leefe in the penalty box.

The Aces will be without goaltender Guy St. Vincent for games two, three & four.

St. Vincent was assessed a match penalty following a skirmish 11 minutes into the third period and was handed a three-game suspension.

Joey Fontaine replaced St. Vincent and stopped all nine shots he faced in the last nine minutes.

The two teams combined for 102 penalty minutes in game one.

Game two goes Sunday (3 p.m.) in St. Jean and the series returns to Ste. Anne for game three Wednesday night.


photos courtesy Shannon Normandeau