Banged up

Dukes are tested early in the season

Peering across to the seats on the other side of the rink on Friday, three sets of crutches lay beside young men who should have been on the ice. Injuries have taken a severe toll on the Wellington Dukes in this early part of the season. As many as five Dukes are out of the lineup.

Just sixteen Dukes skaters faced the Muskies on Sunday. This includes a pair of new additions. It is hard to make this work.

It goes some way in explaining why the Dukes lost each of their last three games. On Wednesday, they were smoked by the North York Rangers. Yet, on Friday, the hometown team was energized and enthusiastic—and at times seemed as though they might pull out an improbable win against the powerhouse Trenton Golden Hawks. In the end, it wasn’t enough. On Sunday, the Dukes again kept it close, but managed scarce few good scoring chances.

Cam Kosurko works his craft around the Trenton net on Friday night.

The disappointing bit is that the Dukes are a good team—there just isn’t enough of them. Not at the moment. If ever this squad gets healthy, they will be contenders— but not now. The Dukes seem likely to struggle until then.

NORTH YORK 6 – WELLINGTON 0
A truncated Dukes squad travelled to Finch and Bathurst last week, where the tone was set early. Forty seconds into the game, the Rangers beat Ethan Morrow in the Dukes’ net. Five more unanswered goals later, the Dukes climbed back on the bus. Not to look back.

TRENTON 7 – WELLINGTON 4
This game was much closer than the score suggests. In fact, the Dukes led much of this game, and with a couple of bounces, might have put some distance between them and the Golden Hawks. Alas, it was not to be.

The Dukes went into the third tied 3-3, on a pair of goals from Emmet Pierce and another from Jonathan Balah. Trenton had never led in those two frames. Early in the third, newly acquired forward William Poot stayed out at the end of his shift to carry the puck deep, enabling a smooth line change. Working hard behind the net, Poot suddenly came up with the puck and found Jake Vreugdenhil streaking to the net. Quick pass. Shot. The Dukes took the lead for the fourth time in the game.

A poor decision by a Duke forward led to a power play goal for the Golden Hawks. The momentum shifted entirely. Another Trenton goal seconds later. And then another. Finally, an emptynetter.

It was a thrilling and exciting exhibition by a hometown team driven by pride and enthusiasm, but in the end, they simply lacked the horses to finish the job.

LINDSAY 3 – WELLINGTON 1
One of the more inspiring stories in the OJHL so far this season has been the performance of the perennially woeful Lindsay Muskies. After eight games, the Muskies sit in second place in the East. Five days earlier, the Dukes managed to squeak out an overtime win in Lindsay.

But at home, the Dukes were simply out of resources. Just sixteen skaters, each whom had given everything to be competitive with Trenton in front of the hometown crowd. By Sunday, they had little left. It showed on the shot clock. Just 19 shots in the entire game.

Cam Kosurko opened up the scoring, giving the Dukes the early lead. But the Muskies rebounded with a pair of goals in the third. Wellington kept it close, but an empty-net goal late in the game sealed the third loss in as many games.

UP NEXT: HALIBURTON COUNTY AND THE GOVERNOR’S SHOWCASE
A bit of an easier schedule this week. The Dukes will have six days off before they visit Minden to face the Haliburton County Huskies on Saturday night. While the Dukes tamed the Huskies on their first visit to Wellington, Haliburton County has defeated two strong teams since—North York and Cobourg.

Next week, the Dukes will participate in the annual Governor’s Showcase tournament in Cobourg. On Monday, Wellington will face the Toronto Patriots, and on Wednesday, they will take on the Toronto Junior Canadians.