It begins

Dukes season gets rolling with mixed results

Wellington’s bid for an unbeaten season ended early—as the Dukes split a pair of games the opening weekend.

A long line snaked out of the Wellington and District Community Centre on Friday night before the home opener. Rumours floated through the anxious queue that the COVID-constrained capacity of the rink might soon be reached and that fans might be turned away. As it turned out, all those waiting got in—that is, once everyone had completed forms providing contact information and a declaration of any symptoms along with proof of vaccination and photo identification.

The bottlenecks in the process will, hopefully, be worked out in time.

DUKES 4 – MISSISSAUGA 1
It was a lively crowd that greeted the Dukes on Friday. The hometown team responded with a strong outing against the spirited Mississauga Chargers. The more disciplined and structured play of the Dukes soon had the Chargers hemmed in their own zone. Singular and unsupported efforts to escape the Dukes’ clutches were quickly turned around. The play headed back toward the Mississauga net.

Just ninety-six seconds had elapsed when Dukes forward Corbin Roach rifled a high hard shot on net. Barrett Joynt was poised in the blue paint to swipe home the Dukes’ first goal of the season.

Later in the period, on the back of a powerplay, Jacob Dietz gathered up the puck and made a pretty breakout pass Joynt, who found Ethan Quick streaking up the middle with a brilliant pass. With half a stride on the trailing Charger defence, Quick buried his one-on-one chance. Quick and deadly.

The tempo slowed after the first, especially since the Chargers, while dangerous on the rush, struggled to keep the pressure on the Dukes. Still, the Wellington forwards would create chances. A few crossbars, an untouched cross-crease pass, the near misses of a team that had dialled back the intensity.

Near the end of the second, linemates Quick and Joynt (neither a carpentry firm nor a cannabis retailer) worked the puck to the front of the Chargers’ net. Harrison Ballard swatted it home. The Dukes assumed a more defensive posture at this point.

The teams played the third by rote. The Chargers got on the board with a power play marker. Jake Vreugdenhil did the same for the Dukes. That is how it ended. The Dukes taking the season opener 4-1.

Ethan Morrow earned the win in the Dukes net.

DUKES 3 – COBOURG 4 OT
On Saturday, the Dukes travelled to Cobourg. Power plays defined this game. After a defensive first period, Payton Schaly, in his first regularseason game with the Dukes, scored with the man-advantage early in the second period to open the scoring.

Then it wasn’t until the first rush of the third that Cobourg tied the game. But the Dukes bounded back with a pair of goals—a second marker from Schaly and a goal from Jonathan Balah, on the power play, midway through the third. But Wellington failed to hold the line. Cobourg returned with a power play goal of their own. Then another Cougar goal with just over two minutes left in the third. The score was tied at three goals apiece.

In overtime, the Dukes were caught with too many men on the ice. Cobourg scored. The Dukes took their first loss of the season.

UP NEXT: HALIBURTON COUNTY, ST. MICHAELS
The Dukes have a busy week coming up, with four games in six days. On Friday, they host the Haliburton County Huskies. Formerly the Whitby Fury, the Huskies now reside in Minden, and on Friday night they will venture to Prince Edward County. Haliburton County split a pair of opening season games against Lindsay last weekend.

In a typical Sunday game in Wellington, the Dukes will host the St. Michael’s Buzzers before the turkey is ready. Game time is 2:30.

On Tuesday, the Dukes visit Lindsay and then North York the next night.

Ethan Quick created several good scoring chances around the Mississauga net of Friday, but was unable to capitalize on this opportunity. Quick earned three points in two games on the weekend.