NEWS

The final game of the Round Robin featured the hometown Trenton Golden Hawks and the Dryden Ice Dogs. A Dryden loss would mean that they would be out of the tournament. They made just two changes with Matt Leniuk replacing Lucas Robinson and Ben Dennis getting his first start in net. He shared duties during the regular SIJHL season with Patrick Zubick winning 22 of 23 starts but he had not played a game in the club's post-season. The Golden Hawks made four changes from last night with Chris Sekelyk, Bryce Martin, Connor Quinn and Cal Walker coming in and making their tournament debuts replacing Dawson Baker, Rex Moe, Louis DiMatteo and Austin Tonkovich. Elliot Gerth got his first starting assignment of the week in goal.

 

After successfully killing off a penalty (no PP goals allowed to date in the Cup) the Golden Hawks went ahead on a point shot from Martin. Ben Scheel who won the faceoff got the assist. A quick lead for by the home side who went scoreless  against the Raiders. Liam Morgan then had to leave the ice favouring his shoulder, a big loss for the 'Hawks, but it would be 2-0 in short order as Mac Lewis popped in a pass from Anthony Sorrentino. The Uxbridge native would be on the spot again at 10.16 to make it a commanding 3-0 Trenton lead. Sorrentino had another assist on this one along with Sekelyk. It was becoming a very one-sided affair as Jeremy Pullara got number four with this one coming on the powerplay with Sekelyk and Martin adding helpers. Following the score Zubick came into the Dryden net to replace Dennis. The first fight of the tournament quickly followed as the Dogs' Garrett Giertuga was perhaps trying to get his team going as he tangled with Walker. His team would get the next one courtesy Jacen Bracko at 16.43 from Cody Wardner but the 'Hawks regained their four-goal bulge with another man-advantage marker with Sorrentino getting his second of the contest with assists from blueliners Brandon Marinelli and Josh Allan at 17.31. The 'Dogs kept their flickering hopes alive as they wrapped up the period with a shorthanded goal by Braeden Allkins who had four during his team's regular campaign. The only assist went to Kenora Thistles Midget callup Matthew Pitchenese. Not surprisingly shots on goal for the period favoured the Golden Hawks 21-8 who had the 5-2 lead.

 

The Golden Hawks had a two-man advantage starting the second frame and they wasted no time getting number six with Allan finishing off a play with Marinelli and Lucas Brown 28 seconds in. With penalties coming thick and fast Sorrentino got his second of the evening and fourth powerplay marker from Pullara and James Thomson just past the halfway point. The GM Ice Dogs got their second shorthanded goal with just over five minutes left from Kristopher Hamlin from Nic Noseworthy and Eric Stout. The goal marked the highest single game output in the tournament (ten) with lots of time to go. Powerplay goal number five for the 'Hawks quickly followed and it was the hat trick for Sorrentino. assisted by Allan.. Make it 9-3 Trenton with just over two minutes left in the wild and woolly second session from Scheel, set up by Max Ewart and Sorrentino. Double digits at as Allan netted his second on a nice individual effort at 19.31 for the 10-3 lead. Shots again 21-8.

 

After the thirteen goals in the first two the third was played out as was expected with the game already decided. The home team had most of the offense early  but a nice effort from Bracko got him his second of the contest. Hamlin and Tristan Knott, from Red Lake Falls, Minnesota assisting. Final 10-4 to the hosts. Shots were ten each and 52-26 for the match. A giant seven-point game for Sorrentino while co-captain Allan had four and Marinelli three.

 

Friday it will be Georgetown taking on Powassan in the semifinal with the winner meeting the Golden Hawks Saturday night for the Cup and it's a long trip home for the Ice Dogs who got off to a good start topping the Raiders 5-4 in overtime in their first game. The game marked the end of the Junior careers of goalkeepers Zubick and Dennis; Robinson, Allkins, captain McPhail, Colton Sandboe, Garett Graham, Noseworthy and Jake Gushue  (suspended).