NEWS

By Ron Valentine

This week saw games two to six completed in the Buckland Cup final with the first two contest going to the home team and the second two to the visitors.

In the game Sunday in Wellington the Dukes won 4-3 in overtime to take the series in six and they will advance as the OJHL representative at the Dudley-Hewitt Cup in Dryden, May 1-5. (Photo by Ed McPherson / OJHL Images)

 

GAME TWO - This game in Wellington took place on Monday. it was rescheduled from Sunday because of the storm that hit Southern Ontario and it saw the Dukes take a 2-0 lead in the series with a convincing 6-1 victory. Whitby's Bryce Yetman, the regular season pride of the GOJHL's Chatham Maroons, led the way with the hat trick, a goal in each period, giving him ten goals and two assists in 11 playoff contests. Adding goals for the winners were Teddy McGeen, his seventh; rookie Nelson Powers with his first of the post-season and fellow freshman Declan Carlile, his fifth. Dukes' netminder Jonah Capriotti was just over three minutes away from recording a shutout when bluleiner Zac Elson scored a consolation goal for the visitors. It was 4-0 Dukes after two and all three goals in the third came via the powerplay. The final frame was a rough one with 75 of the game's total of 91 penalty minutes being called. As a result of an altercation a pair of bluleiners received suspensions: the Raiders' Carson Pearce received a three-game ban and the Dukes' Mackenzie Warren will miss the next two. Capriotti stopped three dozen shots to record the win. 

 

GAME THREE - The Raiders are nothing if not resilient, as they have proven many times this season and on Tuesday evening in Georgetown they whitewashed the Dukes 8-0 on a 36-save performance from Caledon's Troy Timpano. The big period for the home side was the second where they scored four times. The Raiders scored six of their goals on the powerplay. Nicholas Prestia doubled his post-season scoring output with two goals and the Raiders got singletons from Austin Cho, Elson, Jason Smith, Andrew Court, Jordan Crocker and Matt McJannet putting Crocker and Elson in a four-way tie for the scoring lead on the club with Bailey Molella and Jacob Payette, all with seven to their credit. The Raiders got 25 of their 47 shots in the opening period but wound up with only four in the third. Recording three-point games were Crocker, Cho, Smith and Court. Once again, the penalty count was high with the officials calling a total of 72 minutes including a whopping 31 minors. So two games and two one-sided affairs and it's on to..

 

GAME FOUR - Thursday night back in the Essroc Arena, in the Wellington and District Community Centre, and it was a big night for the Raiders' Matt McJannet, who, going into the game had four playoff goals and he doubled that output in his club's 7-2 win to tie the series at two apiece. McJannet had the first two Raiders' goals, both on the powerplay, in the second period following a scoreless first. after the Dukes' Jackson Arcan had opened the scoring. Andrew Barbeau tied the game at twos but the visitors scored three before the end of the period to lead 5-2. Smith, Court and Ancaster Avalanche callup Dirk Stadig had their other goals. Wellington's second was scored by Andrew Barbeau, the first for the ex- Niagara Falls Flyer captain call-up. A four-point night for Smith and four assists for Crocker, who now leads the club with 25 playoff points including a League-leading 18 helpers. The last five Raiders' goals came in a span of just over five minutes. Timpano made 39 saves for the win. Now it becomes a best of three.

 

Modestly, McJannet told me that it was just 'one of those nights when everything goes in' but the 20-year old forward, who has one season of junior eligibility remaining, admits he was happy to get the four goals. It's the first time he has netted four in a game at the junior level though he did get a hat trick for his previous club – the St. Thomas Stars of the GOJHL. Matt registered 15 goals this past regular season despite missing ten games, in his rookie season as a Raider he had 21. He is glad to be part of the 'veteran' group on the team and likes to help mentor the younger players. The native of Courtice ON (also the birthplace of teammate Elson) says for the team to be successful they have to try to eliminate turnovers and continue to pressure the Dukes especially in game six on their bigger ice surface.

 

Despite the lop-sided scorelines in games 3 and 4 ,the Dukes' captain Colin Doyle pointed out that, the series was tied 2-2 and his club remained confident going into game five in Georgetown. Colin noted that they had to create some traffic in front of Raiders' keeper Timpano and stick to their own game plan in a series which has proven to be ultra-competitive and as it turned out his confidence was well-placed as in...

 

GAME FIVE - The Dukes grabbed a 3-2 series lead with a 3-2 nailbiter victory Saturday night in Georgetown. The home side welcomed Jonathan Hampton and Brendan D'Agostino back into the lineup but were still missing Pearce, serving Game 3 of his suspension. Wellington had Andrew Rinaldi back in but were missing the suspended Dawson Ellis. It would be Rinaldi who would score the winning goal in this one as he pushed home the rebound of a McGeen shot with just over five minutes left in the game. Court scored his first of two to give the Raiders' an early first period lead. In the second segment, Yetman would find the net for the 11th time in the playoffs redirecting a Warren shot from the point to tie it up. In the final frame a mixup at the end of a Raiders' power play led to a two on one break for Wellington and Yetman set up McGeen for the go-ahead goal just past the halfway mark then McGeen burst down the left side and cut in but was foiled by Timpano however Rinaldi was Andrew-on-the spot to force it in for the 3-1 lead. The home side was not finished, however, and on a power play Court found himself open at the side of the net and made no mistake. This set up a furious last two plus minutes but the Dukes held on to force what could be the clincher on their own ice. Both goalkeepers had great games with Capriotti making 41 stops and Timpano 40. 

 

GAME SIX - The box office at the Essroc arena was open early Sunday in anticipation of a large crowd and the possible presentation of the Frank Buckand trophy on a very early summer-like evening in Wellington. The attendance at the game was 1,115. The Raiders struck first on a goal by McJannet, No. 9, this one with the man-advantage and less than a minute later it was 2-0 with Justin Paul redirecting a point shot making it four in the post-season for the former Milton IceHawk.The home side came out flying in the second stanza- first from Doyle just shy of three minutes in and less than two minutes later Sault Ste. Marie native Frank Pucci had made it two apiece. The Raiders were caught with too many soldiers on the ice and the Dukes took advantage to take the lead 3-2 with Josh Supryka celebrating his second of the playoffs. With time running out in the period Cho got the visitors back on even terms to set up a big final frame which was scoreless although the Raiders outshot the Dukes 18-8 and 38-34 overall in regulation. The Dukes punched their ticket to the Dudley-Hewitt Cup at 8:19 with the second goal of the game for Pucci. 

Frank has spent most of his Junior career with the Niagara Falls Canucks of the GOJHL where he accumulated 257 points but did get into some games with the OHL's Soo Greyhounds and Erie Otters and was a Junior Affiliate addition for the Dukes. He played his minor hockey for the Soo Thunder and Soo Indians.

Congratulations to the Dukes as they advance one more step toward to the RBC Cup and also to the S/W Conference champion Raiders for a hard-fought series.