NEWS

Fraser Kirk of the Newmarket Hurricanes recorded shutouts in three of his last four starts. (Photo by Ray MacAloney / OJHL Images)

By Ron Valentine

Lots to talk about and lots of things going on this past week:

• The trade deadline meant several players in new uniforms with many making immediate impacts.

• The Toronto Patriots set a season Ontario Junior Hockey League high of nine straight wins but were denied No. 10 by a team in a three-way race for the final playoff spot in the South/West conference. Their road streak of wins moved up to nine and they were the first team to reach the 70-point mark.

• Aurora extended their winning run to six games and their road run without defeat to six, also.

• Wellington got their fifth straight victory on home ice.

• The Tigers and Hurricanes continue to go toe-to-toe in the North; the Dukes seem a comfortable fourteen up in the East; the Panthers lead the Fury for the last playoff place in the N/E Conference but it's not over and in the West the Raiders have a 10 point lead with 11 games left while the Flyers, Cougars and the idle Chargers are in a race to make the post-season that cold well go down to the wire.

 

SOUTH

TORONTO PATRIOTS - A season-high winning streak in the OJHL this season was set – 9 – as they beat the IceHawks in Milton 4-0. Andrew Petrucci reached the 40-goal mark scoring once. Dante Spagnuolo had a goal and an assist. Owen Liskiewicz had a relatively easy shutout having to save just 15 shots. Saturday evening the Western Cougars were in the Westwood and they stopped that streak with a 7-6 OT win in a physical contest. The Pats came back from a three-goal deficit to get the game into extra time. Colton Kalezic had two goals and three points, Petrucci four assists and Dante Spagnuolo a goal and three helpers in the wide-open affair – a coach's nightmare! They now lead the second-place Rangers by six. GM Mark Joslin was pleased to get two 'character guys' from Mississauga in forward Max Routledge and defender Kyler Matthews. Routledge is a big plus up front, he notes, he is a good fit, will be able to contribute on the second power-play unit and is a proven playmaker and scorer. Matthews, he says, plays well above his weight, brings a physical style but can still put up points and the attitude of both guys is excellent. 

 

NORTH YORK RANGERS - The team did not see any action until Saturday night at the Alcott versus the Raiders but they showed they were not to be denied in the race for top spot in the division as they shut out the home side 3-0 backstopped by  Colby Muise who registered clean sheet No. 4 this campaign saving 31 shots on goal. Nick Leshuk and Grayden Gottschalk had first period goals and Jesse Tucker got one early in the second to end the scoring. Out of the frying pan into the fire Sunday with the Junior Canadiens in for a divisional tilt at home but they could not get a win in this one ending up dropping the contest 5-3. Nick Campoli had two goals giving him 17 this season. Kyle Clarke scored a shorthanded goal. The first period was their undoing as they saw the J.C's score three times without reply. One point ahead of the Blades still with both teams having nine games remaining.

 

OAKVILLE BLADES - The second-place team (going in) in the Division built up a 2-0 lead in Trenton Wednesday night but could not quite hold on falling to the Golden Hawks 3-2. Jacob Buch and Matt Kellenberger, on the power play, did the scoring. The Blades were in Orangeville Saturday night for a battle of the O's and Spencer Kersten and Eric Uba staked them to a 2-1 advantage in the second before the Flyers got rolling and won it 5-3. Jack Ricketts narrowed the lead in the third with the other Blades goal. The loss dropped them into third in the Division just one point behind North York and still very much in the mix. 

 

TORONTO JUNIOR CANADIENS - The club got back to its winning ways after losing both games last week beating the Buzzers 6-2 away from home Thursday. Two goals for Jake Joffe giving him thirty for the campaign. Two also for recent addition Daniil Vertiy less than three minutes apart late in the second frame and two goals and four points for Jack McBain. Vertiy,19, born in Russia, was a late reported trade deadline pick-up who has OHL experience with Windsor, North Bay, Saginaw and Owen Sound. A big game in North York Sunday afternoon and they came through in style taking it 5-3. McBain had the winner and Jason Pineo notched three assists.

 

ST. MICHAEL'S BUZZERS - Home ice did not help the club Thursday as the J.C's punished them 6-2. Dylan Jackson (number 25) and Ryan Madigan had the scores, both in the final period. In Burlington the next night, they got both points on Dylan Jackson's goal in the second OT after the Cougars' keeper had taken a big spill outside of his cage, They led 2-0 on power play goals from Ty Jackson and the 21st. of the season for Colton Trumbla but were up against a more determined home side in the third. They seem set for number seven spot in the Conference now.

 

MISSISSAUGA CHARGERS - No games this week and quite the layoff with their next action coming next Saturday with a home game against North York. We'll see if he rest helps them as they battle the Cougars and the Flyers in a bid to be on the ice in the post-season.

 

 

WEST

GEORGETOWN RAIDERS- With newly-acquired Troy Timpano on the sidelines with a suspension Nathan Torchia got the call in goal for the Raiders and he came through with a 28-save performance to shutout the Sabres 2-0 in Buffalo. Jason Smith (number 25) and Josh Nixon found the net. Back home Wednesday evening they trailed 2-0 against the Flyers after two complete but came back in the final frame for the 4-2 win. Austin Cho was in on all their scoring with a goal and three assists. This win extended their streak to six. That would all end Saturday night on home ice as they were blanked by North York 3-0. The tonic they needed was a Sunday stroll in Milton but it was not easy with Brendan D'Agostino getting two goals (18 now for the season) and Andrew Court two assists in the 3-1 win with Torchia getting his sixth win in eight starts. 29 wins and 61 points now after going three for four this week.

 

BUFFALO JUNIOR SABRES- The club was optimistic going into their home contest against Georgetown based on previous results this season but they could not solve Nathan Torchia and went down 2-0. A single point was their reward in Pickering in a 3-2 OT contest in which Adam Tretowicz found the net for the twentieth time this season. Hoping to end the week on a winning note they entertained the Flyers and after two scoreless periods they got markers from blueliner Jovan Zimmerman and Scott Ramaekers and went on to a 3-1 win with Colton McKenna adding one into the empty Orangeville net. Brian George had a shutout going with just under three minutes left, putting up a 31-save performance. Locked into second in the Division with still a chance of getting to the top but they trail the Raiders by ten points with twelve games left for them in the regular season.

 

ORANGEVILLE FLYERS- The club could not hold on to a 2-0 lead after forty minutes in Georgetown and ended losing it 4-2. Kevin Shirmaly, in the first and Rocco Andreacchi, in the second, accounted for their scoring. They were down 2-1 on Alder Street in the second period on Saturday night but rallied for a 5-3 upset over the Blades. Eric Theander had two and Masson Sarris a goal and two helpers while Eric Doner was big in net stopping 43. West Division opposition Sunday in Buffalo another close contest as the Sabres prevailed 3-1. Hudson Lambert got the only goal for the Flyers late in the third. A three point lead over Burlington for spot number eight, the Cougars have two games in hand and Mississauga is also on 35 points and they have played the same number of games. Stay tuned in on this battle! 

 

BURLINGTON COUGARS- In a Monday matinee the Cougars dropped a 6-3 decision to Kingston. The loss means that they have not won a game at the Appleby since November 10th. The highlight for them in this one was a two-goal performance from top rookie prospect Dennis Golovatchev. His second marker late in the third made it just a one-goal deficit but the Vees would put it out of reach in the third. An end-to-end thriller at home on Friday night against the Buzzers saw four goals evenly split in regulation and one more valuable point but a bizarre ending as goalie Justin Richer took a spectacular spill outside his net in the second session led to the visitor's winner, Matt Galli had his club-leading fourteenth in this one. A trip to the Westwood Saturday night against the top-ranked Patriots saw thirteen goals scored with the Cougars getting the extra one for the upset victory. Noah Kalsner-Lowe had two goals including the overtime winner. Mitchell Morrison had a goal and two assists.They saw leads of 4-1 and 5-2 evaporate but got the valuable two points in the end. A big win. Head Coach Terry Richardson told me it was a pleasant surprise getting seven goals, especially against the League's number one team. His is an inexperienced club, he says, for the most part with just two last year players in Galli and Kalsner-Lowe. It's a learning curve for the team but getting just single points against the Fury and the Buzzers is not necessarily a bad thing since the race between his team, Orangeville (at the Appleby next Friday) and Mississauga is likely to go down to the wire. A lot of changes were made during the season, he notes, giving some veterans a chance to play with top teams and now his group is starting to come together much better as a unit. 

 

MILTON ICEHAWKS- Friday night the number 22 ranked club hosted the number one and the result was a predictable on with the Patriots winning out 4-0. Next it was off to Pickering where the club put in a spirited performance but came away empty-handed in a 3-1 scoreline.  Zach Sirota had the goal in the second period. Sunday a local derby against the number one Raiders and it was a close one with defenceman Rewdy Scott scoring in his first game and Kevin Tardif making 38 saves with the same 3-1 result. A young team that has to learn how to win.

 

 

NORTH

AURORA TIGERS - The Tigers moved to top spot with a convincing 6-2 win over the Muskies in Lindsay scoring three times each in the first and third periods. A shorthanded goal and three assists for Jake Bricknell, who became the second player to reach the 70-point mark this season. Zach Wilkie scored twice and added an assist while Matthew Ferrari had a goal and three points. Friday at home Austin Eastman had two goals and an assist giving him 25 points in just 11 games as the Tigers doubled up on the Fury 4-2. They got three goals in the first frame on the way to a total of 46 shots on the game. Saturday night at home they moved four ahead of the Hurricanes with a 5-4 win against Markham. Bricknell had the winner just past the six-minute mark of the third, his second of the game and fourth point moving him up to 76 on the season just one behind the Patriots' Andrew Petrucci. Chris Giroday had three assists. Though quiet at the trade deadline, they did pick up a free agent. Jim Thomson, team president, notes that Roman Semin (Syomin) was added to give some extra depth on the blueline. He played as an affiliate in 2016-2017 and was at Everest Academy this term. He is a big presence, standing 6'6", without skates! Jim says they did not want to disrupt the team chemistry and the club already is at its maximum of 1997s. He expects the fierce competition to continue, especially with the Markham Royals' acquisitions at the deadline.

 

NEWMARKET HURRICANES - Two games this week, five goals for and none against. A 24-save performance by Fraser Kirk led them to a 2-0 victory over the visiting Dukes with Eric Eremita scoring in the second and Owen Ramsay late in the third. They outshot Wellington 49-24. Sunday afternoon saw a trip to Whitby to play the Fury, a team desperate for good results to get to the post-season but the 'Canes posted another game with no goals against by winning 3-0. Jackson Savery's goal just over two minutes in would stand up in this one. That's three shutouts in his last four starts for Mr. Kirk who stopped 19. And that’s 56 points for the Hurricanes, just two behind the Tigers. Both teams have 14 games remaining.

 

MARKHAM ROYALS - The third-place club started off on the right foot this week even thought they were missing Head Coach Mike Galati, suspended for two games, with a 4-0 shutout by Nate McDonald over Cobourg. Kosta Likourezos, picked up at the trade deadline, contributed a goal and an assist and Jack Jeffers chipped in with two helpers but then they were surprised at home by the same team Friday night coming out on the wrong end of a 6-3 final. Lucas Condotta opened the scoring with his 29th and Braedyn Aubin had a shorthanded marker in the second and Brett Ouderkirk connected in the third. Saturday night in Aurora they lost a 5-4 squeaker. Condotta netted his 30th of the season and Aubin had a goal and three points.

 

PICKERING PANTHERS - With the final North-East Conference playoff spot up for grabs, the Panthers travelled the short distance to Whitby for the 'Battle of Durham' but came away with a 4-2 loss against their local rivals. Joseph Franzin and Andrew Hughes had their goals. They pulled off a very large victory Friday night on home ice edging the Sabres 3-2 but it took an overtime goal from Captain Josh Argier to get it done. The Panthers also got power play goals from Brock Traill and Hughes. Franzin assisted on all three. Game three had them hosting Milton and they got the win they needed 3-1 with Andrew Pouilas, Traill and Franzin finding the net. Adam Wisco saved 22. They now have a six-point lead over Whitby in the conference with two games in hand,

 

STOUFFVILLE SPIRIT - Beau Binnie, Darius Kondrotas and Anthony Stavrou scored goals but it was not enough as they lost 7-3 in Kingston Thursday. Their offense got going on Saturday night but they could not keep the goals out, losing 7-5 to Trenton. By the middle of the second they had fought back after being behind three times to tie it before the visitors got four straight to put it away. Binnie had two goals and an assist to lead the way. Wellington was the destination Sunday afternoon and it was probably a long trip home as they were shut out 5-0. Coach Jeff Perrin missed this one and will also not be behind the bench in the next nine after a suspension and as well Mat Barazin was assessed a seven-game ban following the game with the Golden Hawks.

 

LINDSAY MUSKIES - Ben Sellars and Jake Dale had the Muskies' goals in a 6-2 defeat hosting Aurora. They put up a very strong effort Friday night on home ice going down 3-2 to Trenton in the second overtime session. Brayden Leeking and Cameron Robinson had goals and the Captain's would force the OT and the single point.  Rounding out the week, a trip to Kingston for a Sunday matinee but this one was not close with the Vees' winning 7-1. Maxim Clouser made his debut in the net and saves 50 shots and Erich Roeder had the goal.

 

EAST

WELLINGTON DUKES - Three games this week and two victories. Despite a 46-save performance from Jonah Capriotti they could not score a goal in Newmarket and were bested 2-0. A trip back to the winners' enclosures Friday at home beating the Vees 6-1 in a rough contest that 'featured' 128 minutes in penalties and four power play markers from the home side. Ben Evans got a goal and two assists. Teddy McGeen tallied number 23 and Andrew Rinaldi his 21st. Blueliner Geoff Lawson picked up a three-game ban in this one. Declan Carlile, who had three assists, was announced as an injury replacement for the Panthers' Dustyn McFaul in next week's 'Top Prospects' game in Mississauga coming up this Tuesday. Sunday with the Spirit in they completed the 2 for 3 week beating them 5-0 with Tyler Richardson posting his first Dukes' shutout saving 24. Carlile rang up three more assists and he now has 29 points for the campaign.

 

KINGSTON VOYAGEURS - Three for four this week for the second-place club. The Vees' started the week with a workmanlike 6-3 doubling of Burlington with Colin Van Den Hurk and Brandon Nadeau each having a goal and two assists. Robert Clerc's mid-second period goal proved to be the winner. They put in another seven at home against the Spirit against three Thursday led by a 3-goal and 2-assist performance from Austin Grzenia. Josh Leblanc had a a pair of goals and Cole Beckstead three assists to reach 100 points as a Vee. In Wellington Friday night  Riley Richards scored a power play goal 1:01 into the event but that would be all as they took a 6-1 setback. As a result of the game Danny Riedel picked up a 2-game suspension and Aidan McFarland was lost for one. They were looking for a big bounceback at home against Lindsay and got it, triumphing 7-1 led by hat tricks from Clerc and Leblanc with Dorain Overland chipping in with four assists.

 

TRENTON GOLDEN HAWKS - At home Wednesday night, the Golden Hawks fell behind 2-0 to Oakville but rallied on goals from Chris Karabassis, his first, Steven Elliott and Max Ewart, with the decider, late in the third for the 3-2 victory. In Lindsay Friday night Max Ewart staked hem to a 1-0 lead but they would need a double OT score from Elliott to claim the two points. They made it three in a row in Stouffville with a 7-5 win over a determined Spirit squad. Six power play goals and over a hundred penalty minutes in this one with seven different players scoring the goals. Michael Silveri started things off with a shorthanded marker. There were 110 shots in this wide open contest. Karabassis and Tiger McDonald each tallied a goal and three points. Director of Operations John McDonald said he was a little surprised but happy to be able to pick up Karabassis from the Chargers. He notes that his presence on the ice and in the dressing room is very positive for the team. He also mentioned another new face, this time on the blueline: Stuart Harley, 20, was picked up from the Smiths Falls Bears. John says he has a 'big stick' and has given them the extra strength they were looking for on defense.

 

COBOURG COUGARS - Not a surfeit of happiness against Markham as they started the week at home with a 4-0 setback. The Royals got three in the third for the win. The same opponent Friday on the road but a better result with Connor MacEachern netting two in their 6-3 victory. Mathieu Hebert scored in his second game for the club. Adam Yahn, GM of the team, made these comments: "We identified that we needed to play strong defensive hockey to be successful in the playoffs. We acquired two defensemen to take the load off our top two pairings. Hebert (17) is a young blueliner (from St. Hilaire, PQ) that we found playing in the USPHL for the New Jersey Rockets (25 points in 28 games). He is a big, puck-moving blueliner with good upside. Christopher Izzo is an experienced defenseman who we saw playing for Terrebonne at the RBC last year. He is a complete player in his last season that will be a big help behind the blueline and also contribute the odd point." 

 

WHITBY FURY - In the 'Battle of Durham' Tuesday in Whitby, the Fury got past fellow post-season aspirants, the Panthers, by a 4-2 count with Ashburn's Patrick Demaio assisting on all four goals. Captain Matt Latin registered the game winner on the power play in a physical contest. Jason Stachelbeck's pair of goals were the highlight as they suffered a defeat in Aurora 4-2. They hosted the Hurricanes Sunday afternoon but could not find the net and it ended 3-0 Newmarket. Ten games left for the club and six points behind Pickering.