Four straight

The Wellington Dukes salute their fans after bowing out of the playoffs, losing to the Trenton Golden Hawks.

Dukes battle to the end

For the fourth season in a row, the Dukes have been ousted in the first round of the playoffs. Not since 2011, when the Dukes won the Buckland Cup and the Dudley Hewitt Cup, earning a berth in the RBC Cup national championship series in Alberta, have they emerged victorious from the initial round.

Of course, that isn’t quite true. The Dukes made the most of their host position in the Dudley Hewitt Cup last spring. Eliminated in five games by the Cobourg Cougars in early March, the Dukes were brilliant in the Dudley Hewitt Cup series, losing in the gold medal game by a single goal.

Yet it was another early exit for the Dukes on Friday.

Perhaps this is as good as it gets. It is true that competing in the OJHL requires deep pockets—costs have risen sharply over the past decade. Playing in a new rink has helped, but there remain many empty seats most Friday nights.

Neither are wins the only measure of success— the OJHL is a development league, and the Dukes have always celebrated the fact that many of their players have graduated to higher levels—whether the OHA, the NCAA, CIS or other leagues.

But fewer will move on this season. Part of this is cyclical. Captain Joe McKeown will attend Bowling Green in the fall on a Division 1 scholarship. Sniper Abbott Girduckis has committed to Rochester Institute of Technology and Olivier Lafrenière appears set to join the Ottawa 67s next season.

Will Cook was the most productive forward in the OJHL since Christmas, but he doesn’t know where he will play next year—if at all. Talented, smart and versatile defenceman Andrew Coupland doesn’t yet have a school to play for next year. Marco Azzano is in the same boat. Azzano had a breakout season in Wellington, but failed to attract the attention of Division 1 NCAA schools. Some of these players may yet land with a Canadian university or Division 3 U.S. school— but it is far cry from 2007 when the Dukes sent nine players to the NCAA.

Despite a brilliant second half Will Cook leaves junior hockey without a hockey commitment for next season.

The Dukes in 2014/15 boasted a mix of players across the age-eligibility spectrum, including three 16 year-olds. They lost in four games against a Trenton team comprised almost entirely of 19- and 20-year-olds.

Perhaps it was a rebuilding year. There is, of course, always next season.

BOWING OUT
The Dukes never seemed to catch a break in the playoff series against Trenton. When the Dukes made a mistake, the puck was in the net. When Trenton made a mistake, or two or three, Wellington was unable to harvest their reward. The Dukes worked harder, battled more energetically, skated faster and took more shots on net—but only twice in the series did they ever have a lead in a game. They almost always battled from behind.

Wednesday’s loss in Trenton was perhaps the hardest to swallow. The Dukes were behind 3-0 going into the third period. Trenton penalty. Cook scores. Another Trenton penalty and Girduckis scores. Two minutes into the third period and the Dukes were back in the game and within a goal of tying the score. The Dukes threw everything they had at the Trenton team. Three breakway shots. Nothing.

Trenton shut the door, winning the game 3-2, and in doing so took a three-games-tonone stranglehold on the series.

A large Trenton contingent packed into the Essroc Arena on Friday night for game four.

Their celebration was stifled early, as Cook scored, giving the Dukes the lead. But it did not last.

Trenton cycled the puck low in the Dukes’ zone. The Wellington skaters were gassed. Opportunities to ice the puck or stop play were missed or ignored. The puck was in the net.

It was a tough goal to take. Draining. Dispiriting. No matter how hard the Dukes worked, the puck still ended up in their net. Trenton scored two more in the second. Both teams traded goals in the third period— but the outcome was known much earlier.

Stoically, these proud warriors stood with their heads bowed, waiting for the Trenton celebration to subside. Then they waved thank you to their fans. It was a noble and courageous gesture. Every bit of their being wanted to simply shake hands and retreat to their dressing room. Yet they found the strength and class to say thank you.

The loyal Wellington crowd cheered in response— proud of the young men who had provided such great and thrilling entertainment for the past six months.