Young guns keep Avs rolling as playoffs near
Kyle Kennery, left, celebrates his goal to open the scoring in a 3-1 win over the Niagara Falls Canucks on Saturday. (Ken Pagan photo)
By Ken Pagan
Ben Woodhouse has been playing like he has something to prove this season and the Ancaster Avalanche are reaping the benefits.
Woodhouse scored the game-winning goal for the fourth-straight contest, burying the winner in double overtime on Monday as the visiting Avalanche (36-10-2) earned a 4-3 decision over the Fort Erie Meteors (9-31-8).
Woodhouse, who now leads the Avalanche with 28 goals, has scored in six straight games, including the game-winner in a crucial 3-1 win over the Niagara Falls Canucks (31-13-4) at home on Saturday that secured at least third place in the Golden Horseshoe Conference.
Woodhouse’s overtime winner on Monday was set up by defenceman Dirk Stadig, who reached the 50-point mark with the assist, making him by far the highest-scoring rookie defenceman in the 26-team Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League (Mason Howard of Thorold is next-highest with 33 points).
The Avalanche trio of Liam Van Loon, who leads the team in scoring with 52 points, Stadig and Woodhouse are the three highest-scoring rookies in the nine-team conference.
“Each of them bring a different style and ability to our team,” Avalanche head coach Ken Peroff said after Monday’s win. “Van Loon is a top-end talent, despite only being 16 years old. He expects to be successful and he’s competitive every night.
“Woodhouse and Stadig, to me, have been great stories this year. Neither were taken in a 15-round (OHL) minor midget draft or a five-round midget draft the next year. Both have played like they have something to prove this year and they’re enjoying the success they’ve been able to have.”
The overtime win on Monday was Ancaster’s 10th of the season, with Van Loon having notched three overtime winners and Woodhouse matching fellow rookie Matthew Bridgwater with his second overtime goal of the season.
Macklin McPhee, Dawson McKinney and Michael Cabral, on a penalty shot, scored for the Avalanche in regulation. Marco Lariccia, Daniel Nardi and Luca Mazzo scored for Fort Erie, with Ancaster goalie Tanner Sheppard stopping 19 of 22 shots for the win.
On Saturday, rookie goalie Ryan Dugas earned his 20th win as the Avalanche locked things down against Niagara Falls. The fast-skating Avs employed an in-your-face, tight-checking system to frustrate the Canucks, the third-highest scoring team in the conference. The win ensured the Avalanche would avoid a second-round meeting with the powerhouse Caledonia Corvairs, should they advance through the first round of playoffs.
“I think by this time of year, our players understand how we expect them to play,” Peroff said. “The system is in place. It’s on us as a coaching staff now to identify and help improve any individuals and have each other feeling good and confident about their specific role within our system.”
Kyle Kennery, Woodhouse and Ben Hatanaka scored as the Avalanche burst out to a 3-0 lead after 20 minutes. Garrett Downie scored the lone goal for the Canucks.
With a record of 36-10-2 and two games remaining in the regular season, the Avalanche have matched the franchise-high win total of the 2009-10 Stoney Creek Warriors, who finished 36-11-4 before losing out in the Sutherland Cup semifinal. The franchise relocated to Ancaster in 2013.
The Avalanche wrap up the regular season with two games this week – a stiff test on the road against the second-place St. Catharines Falcons (36-7-4) on Friday and a final home game against the Thorold Blackhawks (19-21-7) on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at Morgan Firestone Arena. Good seats are still available.
