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Dukes prepare to face the Trenton Golden Hawks in round two

The Wellington Dukes breezed past the Cobourg Cougars in a sweep of four games and now prepare for the Trenton Golden Hawks for the right to represent East Division in the South East Conference series.

Cobourg netminder Dershahn Stewart reacts too late to Dawson Ellis’s shot early in the third period on Thursday as it finds the back of the net. As he crossed the blueline, Ellis looked to pass to Daniel Panetta (12 background) bearing down the wing. Instead, Ellis turned and fired on net, catching Stewart cheating to Panetta’s wing. It would prove to be the game winning, series-winning goal.

The Dukes dispatched the Cougars in Cobourg last Thursday. The hometown team gave everything they had to slow down the Dukes and avoid the sweep—but it wasn’t nearly enough. Even after Frank Vitucci gave the Dukes the lead on the power play late in the first period, the Cougars played fast, defensive hockey. It was a matter of pride that they played competitively. Then the Cougars’ Stephen McDonald scored. The game was tied. Cobourg amped up the pressure. But they could not get through the Dukes’ defensive wall. Anything that managed to get through was stopped easily by Matt Dunsmoor.

But the longer this game went without another goal from the Cougars, the more the ice tilted in Wellington’s favour. The Dukes’ speed and tenacity were unrelenting. The dam burst early in the third.

Dawson Ellis carried the puck through the neutral zone, looking for his partner, Daniel Panetta streaking down the opposite wing. Waiting. Looking. Patient. But rather than pass, Ellis, instead, turned and flung the puck on net. No one—least of all Dershahn Stewart—expected Ellis to shoot from just inside the blueline. Moreover, he had to respect Panetta coming down the other wing. The puck found the open net. The Dukes had the lead.

Then the heartbreaker. Forty seconds later, the Dukes gained the Cobourg zone. A Cobourg clearing attempt. Instead, Ben Addison intercepted. Stepped up. Found a lane and fired a laser. Past Stewart.

In the late going, Panetta took the puck away from the Cobourg defence and buried an emptynet goal. And then, rookie Barret Joynt beat Stewart, on a second try, his first of the playoffs.

For all the rough and undisciplined play earlier in the series, the final game was fought well. Cleanly and with dignity.

Dukes general manager Todd Reid observed that the Cobourg squad is led by some proud veterans and strong leadership in the organization. Facts he says resulted in a solid and honourable final two games in the series—which early on seemed as though it might decay into mayhem. Reid says it bodes well for that organization next year and the division overall.

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Now it is on to face the Golden Hawks. Trenton got a scare last week losing game four as Whitby avoided the sweep. The win in Whitby forced game five in Trenton on Saturday. This game, too, proved to be an adventure for the Golden Hawks. For a while anyway. Both Whitby and Trenton swapped goals in the first period. Each side added another goal into the second period. But with under three minutes remaining in the second frame, Trenton scored to take the lead.

The Golden Hawks scored again late in the same period. That was it. Two more Trenton goals in the third rounded out the scoring. And the Golden Hawks were moving on.

Golden Hawks forward Sullivan Sparkes will be back in the lineup on Friday after serving a four-game suspension for attempting to injure in game one of the Whitby series.

Todd Reid is looking forward to a tough, but fun, series against Trenton.

“These are two great teams with tons of energy,” said Reid. “Ultimately, however, we believe in our team.”

Game one is set for Friday at 7:30 in Wellington.

The Dukes won six of seven games with the Golden Hawks in the regular season. But those games may not mean much in the playoffs.

Dershahn Stewart played spectacularly during the series against Wellington. The athletic netminder made more than a dozen sensational stops—but none finer than this one against Dukes sniper Frank Vitucci on Thursday. Dylan Massie had gained the zone at speed. A brilliant pass to Vitucci on the doorstep. It looked to be a certain goal. Back door. But somehow Stewart managed to swing over, thrusting his leg into the air and stopping Vitucci’s shot.