NEWS

Jackson Drysdale of the Brantford 99ers celebrates his power-play goal at the Aurora Community Centre Saturday. The host Aurora Tigers won 4-3. (Ray MacAloney  / OJHL Images)

BY RON VALENTINE

 HOT TEAMS 

The HALIBURTON COUNTY HUSKIES won two of their three Ontario Junior Hockey League contests with their fourth scheduled for Sunday at home to Burlington postponed due to weather conditions. The COLLINGWOOD BLUES won both of their games with their Sunday matchup in Pickering also postponed. 

Two wins in two tries this week for the AURORA TIGERS and the GEORGETOWN RAIDERS with both clubs posting a shutout. The Raiders have won 11 of their last 12 contests. The WELLINGTON DUKES won their only game to remain in fourth spot in the South-East conference.

The TORONTO JUNIOR CANADIENS extended their perfect road record to 13-0 with their 5-2 victory in Burlington Friday but fell 3-2 in double overtime at home Sunday evening against the TORONTO PATRIOTS who have now won five in a row including all three this week.

Just four points now separate the top three clubs in the North-West while in the South-East conference it's six. The races are really beginning to heat up.

HOT PLAYERS

Playing just his fourth game for the Pickering Panthers since being traded from the North York Rangers, blueliner WILSON FARROW had the hat trick in his club's 4-1 win Friday night at home to Stouffville. Wilson, who hails from Sudbury and briefly played for the NOJHL's Rayside-Balfour Canadians, recalls the three goals and his time as a Panther so far: "One the first one I took what they gave me and I followed up on my rebound and put it in. The second goal was a great four-man entry and I slid in as the fourth guy and saw the corner. The third has to be credited to the guys who let me go out on the ice at the end and go for the empty net. The team has been great to play with so far, all the guys work and compete. The team takes pride in its defensive play and having great goalies helps us out. The guys and coaches have put their confidence and trust in me which has helped me jump in right away. There's a winning mentality in the group after their big year. I think we have lots to look forward to and an opportunity to be successful moving forward."

The Toronto Patriots' CHARLIE FINK had a four-goal game, three of them on the power play on Saturday against Caledon. He also added an assist. The Mississauga-born center, who played last season for the OHL's Saginaw Spirit, noted: "It's great to score those goals but I have to thank my teammates. We had a pre-game meeting about running certain plays on a powerplay situation and all of us ran it perfectly, I was just the lucky one to cash in. We have taken big strides over the last couple of weeks and are ultimately finding ways to win. I think what's most exciting for us is that we still have not fully mastered Geoff Schomogyi's system and I can't wait for the success that will come with that. Obviously, with only four or five guys returning from last season it was a tough start but I think that since we have so many new players it allows us to connect better since we are all in the same boat."

Tigers' 'keeper GLEN CRANDALL posted his first shutout this season and second of his OJHL career, saving 27 shots on Friday night against Oakville. It was his 10th win of the season. On Sunday, the Raiders' MIKAEL KINGO had his second clean sheet of the season in Brantford where he also stopped 27. Mikael has won 11 games in 15 starts.

Three goals this week for Cobourg's ANDY REIST – committed to NCAA Division I Niagara University – who has found the net in his last five games and scored 10 points in the process. LUCAS STANOJEVIC of the Tigers had three goals in his two games as both players reached the 20-goal mark for the season.

The Raiders' RHYS CHIDDENTON had the hat trick Sunday against the 99ers and Haliburton's BOYD STAHLBAUM recorded a seven-point week. Since moving to Minden from Lindsay, Boyd has averaged two points in his nine games played.

The Trenton Golden Hawks' pair of RYAN HOLMES and MATTHEW CATO extended their point-getting runs to 12 and 11 games respectively as the team split its four games this week. Cato now has a club-leading 19 goals.

TYLER FUKAKUSA, after being kept off the scoresheet against Burlington, had a goal and an assist Sunday against the Patriots to move his league-leading points total up to 54  from 26 games. The Huskies' PATRICK SAINI, who had three points this week, extended his point-scoring streak to eight games and is second overall with 47.

RANDOM JOTTINGS

Two team captains were on the move this week. SEBASTIAN BULOVS was traded from Caledon to Cobourg and CONNOR VAN WEELIE went from Aurora to the Junior Canadiens. Connor had an empty net goal in his debut in Burlington. Also scoring their first goals in their debuts for new clubs were CARTER REAL who went the other way in the Van Weelie trade and ex-Buzzer JARED COCCMILGIO who scored both Milton's goals in their loss to the Blues. JRC GM Blake Ricci was happy to get the Tigers' captain: "He will improve our team speed and offence, who comes from a great program led by Jim Thomson. Real and STEFAN FORGIONE will get lots of ice time in Aurora."

The Markham Royals registered their first overtime win in eight tries with a 5-4 win over St. Mike's. The hero was MCKAY HAYES, who leads the club with 23 points. Hayes has a DI commitment to Robert Morris in Pittsburgh. Captain SHANE HYMAN also had a pair of goals.

Burlington's MAX WRIGHT recorded his first OJHL shutout Thursday night in Brantford. The Elora native on the event: "The shutout was a great feeling. Coming into the OJHL as a 17-year-old goalie is tough especially backing up (Zach) Dietz. I have learned lots from him and expect to keep learning. The team has been great to me and everyone has been very welcoming, so far it's been nothing but fun playing with the Cougars this year." 

More than 1,000 fans were in attendance as Trenton hosted Game 2 of the 'Hasty P's Cup' on Friday night. The Dukes won 5-3 to even the 'series' at 1-1. Defenceman DAVID FOURNIER of the Golden Hawks scored his first OJHL goal in the contest. He quickly followed that one up with another in their next game.

Trenton's  JOE WEBBER potted his first two goals in the OJHL in his team's doubling of the North York Rangers by a 6-3 count on Sunday evening. The Rochester, NY-born forward played last season for the Comox Valley Glacier Kings of the Vancouver Island Jr. B hockey league where he had 38 points in 41 games.

MICHAEL BIANCONI made his second OJHL goal a very large one as he scored in double overtime to secure the Patriots win over JRC. Michael, 20, played on the blueline in the OHL for Flint Firebirds and the Guelph Storm as well as the USHL's Chicago Steel. For the Patriots, fellow defenceman NOLAN LING, 16, recorded his first OJHL goal. Nolan started the season in Cobourg. 

Brantford and Trenton all reached the midpoint of the schedule (27 games) this week. The Golden Hawks have played the most with 29. Cobourg has played the least with 21 in the books and on winning percentage they are in third place in the South-East.

UPCOMING

The Blues finally get back home where they are 9-0 as they host Georgetown on Friday and Burlington on Saturday. 

Two teams vying for top spot in the North-West meet with the Milton Menace entertaining the Burlington Cougars on Sunday night. 

The Junior Canadiens have a busy week, they are in Stouffville Thursday, St. Michael's on Friday and then they return to the Pond Sunday evening versus the Lindsay Muskies. 

The Huskies have but one contest, the first of five on the road, this one against the Patriots who will be looking for six wins in a row. 

Trenton has three games – they go to St. Mike's Tuesday and have home games against Cobourg and Mississauga on Friday and Sunday, respectively.

Follow Ron Valentine on Twitter @ronandlynda