Dukes pick up seven of eight points in season opening weekend

The Wellington Dukes stand second in the Central Canada Hockey League (CCHL) East standings this morning, tied with Cobourg and Bowmanville after beating Cobourg in a shootout on Monday, earning seven of eight available points over the past week. The only point the Dukes dropped was at home — in a shoot out loss on Friday against the Cobourg Cougars.

It was an important early test of the Wellington Dukes — a largely new cast of players still learning to mesh as a team.

But it was mostly veteran players who made their presence known as Jeremy Franklin, Max Bobrow and Zach Blake led their team to three victories in four games. Newcomers Sean Rudy and Jared Saunders also turned in strong individual performances along with Jordan Ruby in net.

“I am very happy with our start,” said Marty Abrams, Dukes coach and general manager. “If we can keep up this pace all year I think we will all be very happy at the end of it.

“This is a group of players that works for everything they get. If that continues we are going to win some games. I am very happy with the effort overall.”

QUELLING THE FURY

Sean Rudy scored early in the first. The big power forward from Long Sault roofed a pass from Jeff Carroll as the Fury netminder collapsed in a failed attempt to smother the puck. Rudy scored again in similar fashion midway through the second frame, this time assisted by Bobrow and Cole Murduff.

“He has a real good set of hands,” said Abrams. “If we can continue to get that grit out of him, with his size and strength, I think you are looking at a real good player down the road.”

The Dukes gave the Fury a series of man-advantage opportunities in the second period as six different Dukes player filed to the penalty box for a variety of minor infractions. But the Dukes held the Fury off the scoreboard. That was until late in the game, when as the minutes wound down — so did the Dukes’ attention span. Whitby’s Dylan O’Neill and Kris Faric caught the Dukes flatfooted with less than a minute left in the game, stealing Jordan Ruby’s shutout bid.

No shutout — but two points earned on the road.

HOME OPENER

Mayor Leo Finnegan was there. So was Tom Nash. Tom’s family were original investors in the arena in Wellington in 1931. Both Finnegan and Nash were at rinkside at the DukeDome on Friday to commemorate the beginning of the end of the venerable old barn.

Construction and fundraising is well underway on a brand new Wellington and District Community Centre which will feature an NHL-sized ice surface, an indoor running track around the perimeter and many other features.

So Friday’s home opener was both a celebration and the beginning of a year of fond farewells.

There was also a moment to recognize the achievement of last season’s campaign. A handful of members of last year’s squad still with the team gathered to reveal the banner recognizing the Wellington Dukes as the Central Division Champions.

On the ice, Jeremy Franklin and Max Bobrow picked up where they left off last season. Bobrow flying in on the backpedalling defencemen forced a turnover deep in Cobourg Cougars’ end. Bobrow threaded a pinpoint pass onto Franklin’s waiting stick in front of the net. Franklin rarely misses from close range and he didn’t on Friday — notching his first goal of the 2009/10 campaign.

Two minutes later Sean Rudy widened the lead, converting a feed from Matt Harrison to lift the Dukes to 2-0 before Cobourg’s Brandon Couto slid the puck past Dukes’ netminder Ryan Carlisle. C.J. Dickson put the Dukes ahead by two as he changed direction on a shot from defenceman Curtis Leonard.

But the Cougars would score two goals late in the period, erasing a strong effort of play by the Dukes.

In the second, Ruby replaced Carlisle in the Dukes’ net. The game settled down considerably. But as the period got old, Cobourg took the lead for the first time in the game. Gritty forward Jared Saunders, from Red Rock, ON, halted the Cougars’ momentum as he barged down the wing — fighting off a defencemen with one hand while guiding the puck through the netminder with the other. It was a play that instantly endeared the forward in the hearts and minds of the Wellington fans.

On two different occasions the Dukes’ Blake and Dickson missed yawning nets in the second that would prove costly.

A minute into the third, the Cougars retrieved the lead. Zach Blake evened the score three minutes later. The game ended in regulation tied at five goals apiece. Overtime settled nothing. In the shootout that followed, Franklin and Rudy were the only Dukes who managed to beat the Cobourg netminder.

Cam Yuill’s shoot attempt rung hard off the point. Another inch and the fairy tale ending to the Wellington Dukes’ homeopener would have been complete. But instead Cobourg’s Lawton McCracken beat Ruby and Cobourg had the win.

GOVERNOR’S SHOWCASE

In a clever bit of scheduling the Dukes sidestepped their longest road trip of the season by arranging to play Hamilton at the Governor’s showcase in Bowmanville on Saturday.

The Dukes eked out a win on the back of strong goaltending by Jordan Ruby and some timely goals by Zach Blake and Jeremy Franklin.

The first goal was attributed to Blake but truly belonged to Franklin, as the skilled forward weaved down the wing drawing a crowd before depositing a perfect saucer pass onto Blake’s stick. The second goal featured Franklin again blazing down the wing and firing a laser past the Red Wing netminder.

The Red Wings got on the scoreboard in the second period but it was as close as Hamilton would come. Late in the third Blake won the battle for the puck deep in the Hamilton corner — the creative forward simply fired the shot from the sharp angle, caught the goalie’s skate and in the net.

The Red Wings added another goal late; but when they pulled their goalie looking for the equalizer, Jared Saunders scored into the empty net.

TOO MANY BODIES

The Dukes are still carrying about two or three too many players as the team sorts through a series of injuries. Abrams would prefer to move players than have a handful watch from the stands each night, but injuries are frustrating this goal.

“We are getting close. But we’ve got some aggravating injuries. Brock Baragar seems unable to get healthy from a groin injury. Nic Pascoal had a nose injury and is now labouring with a heavy-duty cold. Jeff Carroll has a lingering elbow injury. Mitch Rosborough has made some big strides with his hip flexor injury but he is just getting back on skates.

“Until we get those guys healthy we will keep some extra bodies. But I would expect by the end of this week we will make some more moves.”

Zach Jones took a hard hit at midice in Whitby that kept him out of the lineup for three games. It is the third big hit the forward from Pittsburgh has taken in the last month and it worries his coach.

UP NEXT: BOWMANVILLE AND AJAX

The Dukes settle down to a more gentlemanly schedule this week as Wellington hosts Bowmanville (3W, 2L) on Friday at the DukeDome. On Saturday Wellington travels to Ajax (3W, 2L) for their first matchup with the Attack.

Dukes pick up seven of eight points in season opening weekend

The Wellington Dukes stand second in the Central Canada Hockey League (CCHL) East standings this morning, tied with Cobourg and Bowmanville after beating Cobourg in a shootout on Monday, earning seven of eight available points over the past week. The only point the Dukes dropped was at home — in a shoot out loss on Friday against the Cobourg Cougars.

It was an important early test of the Wellington Dukes — a largely new cast of players still learning to mesh as a team.

But it was mostly veteran players who made their presence known as Jeremy Franklin, Max Bobrow and Zach Blake led their team to three victories in four games. Newcomers Sean Rudy and Jared Saunders also turned in strong individual performances along with Jordan Ruby in net.

“I am very happy with our start,” said Marty Abrams, Dukes coach and general manager. “If we can keep up this pace all year I think we will all be very happy at the end of it.

“This is a group of players that works for everything they get. If that continues we are going to win some games. I am very happy with the effort overall.”

QUELLING THE FURY

Sean Rudy scored early in the first. The big power forward from Long Sault roofed a pass from Jeff Carroll as the Fury netminder collapsed in a failed attempt to smother the puck. Rudy scored again in similar fashion midway through the second frame, this time assisted by Bobrow and Cole Murduff.

“He has a real good set of hands,” said Abrams. “If we can continue to get that grit out of him, with his size and strength, I think you are looking at a real good player down the road.”

The Dukes gave the Fury a series of man-advantage opportunities in the second period as six different Dukes player filed to the penalty box for a variety of minor infractions. But the Dukes held the Fury off the scoreboard. That was until late in the game, when as the minutes wound down — so did the Dukes’ attention span. Whitby’s Dylan O’Neill and Kris Faric caught the Dukes flatfooted with less than a minute left in the game, stealing Jordan Ruby’s shutout bid.

No shutout — but two points earned on the road.

HOME OPENER

Mayor Leo Finnegan was there. So was Tom Nash. Tom’s family were original investors in the arena in Wellington in 1931. Both Finnegan and Nash were at rinkside at the DukeDome on Friday to commemorate the beginning of the end of the venerable old barn.

Construction and fundraising is well underway on a brand new Wellington and District Community Centre which will feature an NHL-sized ice surface, an indoor running track around the perimeter and many other features.

So Friday’s home opener was both a celebration and the beginning of a year of fond farewells.

There was also a moment to recognize the achievement of last season’s campaign. A handful of members of last year’s squad still with the team gathered to reveal the banner recognizing the Wellington Dukes as the Central Division Champions.

On the ice, Jeremy Franklin and Max Bobrow picked up where they left off last season. Bobrow flying in on the backpedalling defencemen forced a turnover deep in Cobourg Cougars’ end. Bobrow threaded a pinpoint pass onto Franklin’s waiting stick in front of the net. Franklin rarely misses from close range and he didn’t on Friday — notching his first goal of the 2009/10 campaign.

Two minutes later Sean Rudy widened the lead, converting a feed from Matt Harrison to lift the Dukes to 2-0 before Cobourg’s Brandon Couto slid the puck past Dukes’ netminder Ryan Carlisle. C.J. Dickson put the Dukes ahead by two as he changed direction on a shot from defenceman Curtis Leonard.

But the Cougars would score two goals late in the period, erasing a strong effort of play by the Dukes.

In the second, Ruby replaced Carlisle in the Dukes’ net. The game settled down considerably. But as the period got old, Cobourg took the lead for the first time in the game. Gritty forward Jared Saunders, from Red Rock, ON, halted the Cougars’ momentum as he barged down the wing — fighting off a defencemen with one hand while guiding the puck through the netminder with the other. It was a play that instantly endeared the forward in the hearts and minds of the Wellington fans.

On two different occasions the Dukes’ Blake and Dickson missed yawning nets in the second that would prove costly.

A minute into the third, the Cougars retrieved the lead. Zach Blake evened the score three minutes later. The game ended in regulation tied at five goals apiece. Overtime settled nothing. In the shootout that followed, Franklin and Rudy were the only Dukes who managed to beat the Cobourg netminder.

Cam Yuill’s shoot attempt rung hard off the point. Another inch and the fairy tale ending to the Wellington Dukes’ homeopener would have been complete. But instead Cobourg’s Lawton McCracken beat Ruby and Cobourg had the win.

GOVERNOR’S SHOWCASE

In a clever bit of scheduling the Dukes sidestepped their longest road trip of the season by arranging to play Hamilton at the Governor’s showcase in Bowmanville on Saturday.

The Dukes eked out a win on the back of strong goaltending by Jordan Ruby and some timely goals by Zach Blake and Jeremy Franklin.

The first goal was attributed to Blake but truly belonged to Franklin, as the skilled forward weaved down the wing drawing a crowd before depositing a perfect saucer pass onto Blake’s stick. The second goal featured Franklin again blazing down the wing and firing a laser past the Red Wing netminder.

The Red Wings got on the scoreboard in the second period but it was as close as Hamilton would come. Late in the third Blake won the battle for the puck deep in the Hamilton corner — the creative forward simply fired the shot from the sharp angle, caught the goalie’s skate and in the net.

The Red Wings added another goal late; but when they pulled their goalie looking for the equalizer, Jared Saunders scored into the empty net.

TOO MANY BODIES

The Dukes are still carrying about two or three too many players as the team sorts through a series of injuries. Abrams would prefer to move players than have a handful watch from the stands each night, but injuries are frustrating this goal.

“We are getting close. But we’ve got some aggravating injuries. Brock Baragar seems unable to get healthy from a groin injury. Nic Pascoal had a nose injury and is now labouring with a heavy-duty cold. Jeff Carroll has a lingering elbow injury. Mitch Rosborough has made some big strides with his hip flexor injury but he is just getting back on skates.

“Until we get those guys healthy we will keep some extra bodies. But I would expect by the end of this week we will make some more moves.”

Zach Jones took a hard hit at midice in Whitby that kept him out of the lineup for three games. It is the third big hit the forward from Pittsburgh has taken in the last month and it worries his coach.

UP NEXT: BOWMANVILLE AND AJAX

The Dukes settle down to a more gentlemanly schedule this week as Wellington hosts Bowmanville (3W, 2L) on Friday at the DukeDome. On Saturday Wellington travels to Ajax (3W, 2L) for their first matchup with the Attack.