35 years

Unparalleled consistency of success

For the 35th consecutive season, the Wellington Dukes are headed to the playoffs. The team clinched a postseason berth on the weekend, defeating the Lindsay Muskies twice. With just one game remaining in the regular season, the Dukes are perched in second spot in the East Conference. But a lot can change by the time the last game is played on March 3.

Cobourg, Markham, St. Mikes and Toronto Junior Canadiens could all surpass the Dukes, potentially shunting them as low as sixth place by then. And who would be their opponent is just a guess. It is a measure of just how tight the conference is this season.

DUKES 8 – LINDSAY 2
Lindsay had a lot to fight for on Friday night. In front of a hometown crowd. They are still on the outside of the playoff hunt, but very close to supplanting the Stouffville Spirit. But it was the wrong kind of fight on this night—the undisciplined kind. Twenty-four minutes of penalties. In a 60-minute game.

The Dukes are too good. They took this advantage and scored three power play goals on their way to an 8-2 thumping of the Muskies—in Lindsay’s home barn. Connor Hunt led the way with two goals, while Nick Dipaolo scored and assisted on two others. Defenceman Josh Rumolo scored the Dukes’ first goal—a power play marker—and assisted Sacha Trudel’s goal in the second.

Jack Lisson went the distance in net for the Dukes.

DUKES 8 – LINDSAY 1
Surprisingly, the Muskies were edged 4-3 by the Stouffville Spirit on Saturday night—the team Lindsay is desperately trying to overtake to get into the playoffs. But Lindsay could not make it happen.

On Sunday, Muskies came over to Wellington looking for a different outcome. It didn’t happen. If possible, the Dukes were more dominant, more relentless. Winning every battle in every corner of the ice.

Dimitri-Alexander Tzaferis set the tone early, while on a power play, the team captain and defenceman lofted a high shot toward the net. The shot weaved through traffic, past the netminder. Lindsay mounted a push. But digging in the end produced the puck for Will Mitchell. Breakout pass to Corey Jewitt. Two on one. A slick pass to Hunt and the Dukes were on their way.

But a Muskie power play goal gave the visitors a jolt late in the period. But then Nick Dipaolo pushed the puck into the neutral zone. The slick new D1 recruit had created his own breakaway. And finish.

The second period played out much like the first. Hunt dug the puck out of the corner scrum and delivered it to Jewitt’s stick. Tap in. Moments later, Pana Ephraimidis gained control of the puck in the Muskie’s end. He moved around, evading Lindsay’s checkers until his linemates found lanes. He slid the puck to Zander Latreille. Nice goal.

Then, a scrum at the face-off dot in the Lindsay zone. Jewitt pulled the puck out, sliding it to Mitchell, as Jewitt slid into a scoring position on the opposite face-off dot. Cross-ice pass. Goal.

Ethan Quick and Austin Montgomery-Parsons rounded out the scoring.

UP NEXT: LEAMINGTON
On Thursday, the Dukes travel five hours to take on the Leamington Flyers. It is Leamington’s first season in the league, yet they have assembled a good team. The Flyers are third in the West Conference, winning 34 of 53 games by Monday. This will be the first occasion in which these two teams meet.

Leamington has lost three of their last five games. The Flyers are solid in net, with Sebastian Gatto ranked second in the OJHL in terms of save percentage.

After this game, a bit of a break, as the Dukes will have the weekend off. The playoffs will start soo