Lopsided

Winger Dorian Overland (27) toiled most of the game in Trenton alongside Ben Sokay (24). Overland scored the Dukes’ first goal of the game and the regular season.

Dukes split opening two games as lineup begins to congeal

Alopsided loss on Friday was not as bad as the score indicated, while a lopsided win on Saturday revealed some work needs to be done.

TRENTON 8 – DUKES 2
It was a depleted Dukes’ lineup that crossed the Carrying Place bridge on Friday night on their way to Trenton. Tryouts, suspensions, injuries and a trade meant the Dukes went into the visiting rink with grit and ambition, but without some of their key talent.

Missing from the lineup were blueline stalwarts Jacob Panetta and Brody Morris. Up front, the Dukes were missing Luc Brown, Chase St. Aubin, Austin Labelle, Marshall Nikitin, Wes St-Amand and Greg Smith.

A pair of call ups—Ryley Richardson and Will Harrison—provided some breathing time for the three lines the Dukes rotated against a much older and largely intact Trenton Golden Hawk squad.

Despite the imbalance in lineups, the Dukes used speed and tenacity to stay with the Golden Hawks though two periods. Down by two goals late in the first period, the Dukes’ Dorian Overland skated down his wing to the face-off circle and fired a missile into the top corner, far side.

In the second, Trenton scored two more. But on the power play, the puck landed on the edge of the blue paint in front of the Trenton netminder. It was where Ben Sokay was parked. He scooped up the puck—picked his spot and fired past the helpless goalie.

It seemed that Dukes would keep it close—and perhaps youth and speed would allow them to close the lead on the older and slower Golden Hawks. But a late second period goal by Trenton burst that bubble. In the third, the Golden Hawks scored three unanswered goals—giving them the lopsided 8-2 victory.

Everyone in the Trenton rink on Saturday expects, however, it will be different next time.

Dukes’ forward Brodie Maracle got caught moving the wrong way and missed the open net in the third period in Trenton. By then the Golden Hawks had the game well in hand.

DUKES 10 – ORANGEVILLE 5
On Saturday night, the Dukes had Brown, Panetta and Morris back in the lineup in Orangeville. The Flyers had had a decent pre-season, so the Dukes were wary of the West Division team. But the Dukes opened up a 10-goal lead in the second period—led by Brown—with three goals and two points. Sokay scored a pair of short-handed goals and an assist. The scoring was rounded out by Nick DeVito, Brodie Maracle, Shaw Boomhower, Griffin McCarty and Jake Falcao.

With a comfortable margin, the Dukes made the classic human mistake of coasting to the finish line. Orangeville struck back with five unanswered goals—one late in the second, four in the third period. It was a rude awakening. It also dug the Dukes’ goalies a deep hole from which to work back toward a respectable goals against average— which, after two games, is currently north of six.

Nevertheless, a road victory is a reason to celebrate. A foundation upon which to build.

UP NEXT: BURLINGTON AND COBOURG
The Dukes head to the other end of Lake Ontario on Saturday to visit the Burlington Cougars. Burlington has won two of its first three games, losing its first in second overtime against Oakville. Burlington is powered by three of the OJHL’s early points-leaders— Daniel Volpe, David Thomson and Jack Jeffers.

On Monday, the Dukes visit Cobourg. Wellington defeated the East division Cougars twice in exhibition play—but that means nothing now. And the Dukes know it.

It is still more than a week away until the Dukes’ home opener on Sept 18.