Winning ways

Craig Campbell nearly tucks the puck through the Spirit netminder’s pads on Sunday. Campbell scored four goals and generated an equal number of assists in two games on the weekend.

Dukes roll along despite depleted lineup

It might have been a tough weekend for the Wellington Dukes—four of their brightest prospects were in Nova Scotia participating in tournaments in Yarmouth and Digby. Mike Soucier was with Team Canada East in the World Junior Challenge—where his team lost the bronze medal game badly to the Swiss. Meanwhile Joe McKeown, Parker Wood and Hayden Lavigne were playing in the Prospects Tournament. Two others, including captain Jan Kaminsky watched from the stands due to injury.

After laying an egg in Kingston on Thursday, the Dukes regrouped and soundly defeated Lindsay and Stouffville—inching up the East Division ranks. In fact, had the Dukes managed to beat the Voyageurs last week, the teams would currently be tied for second in the East.

Alas it wasn’t to be. And, worryingly, fourthplace Whitby has been on a tear of late and now sits just a point behind the Dukes—with a better winning percentage.

We are not quite at the midway point in the season—yet every win matters.

KINGSTON 2 – DUKES 0
In Kingston on Thursday the Dukes ran into a hot goalie and a team willing to defend rather than pounce. It was also a game that exposed the Dukes’ pitiful power play. All season long they have languished near the bottom of the OJHL for power play effectiveness—converting just 12 per cent of their power play opportunities into goals. That’s just one goal for every eight opportunities with the man advantage. Not nearly good enough.

On Thursday the Dukes failed to score in Kingston despite five power play chances. Kingston outshot the Dukes in each period, eventually outshooting Wellington 45-32.

The Vees beat the Dukes’ Matt Larose just a minute into the game and added an insurance marker a minute into the second. It was all they needed—Kingston skated home with the win.

DUKES 7 – LINDSAY 4
On Friday the Dukes travelled to Lindsay. The Muskies are a peculiar and often unpredictble team this season—they lose games they shouldn’t and win against some of the best squads in the league. A week ago they blanked Trenton 2-0. The night before they met the Dukes, they scored six goals against Newmarket for the win.

But on Friday it was the Dukes who would dominate in Muskieland. Craig Campbell led the way with a hat trick and a pair of points. By the midpoint of the game the Dukes had a commanding 6-1 lead.

Abbott Girduckis has five points in his past two games including three goals.

Lindsay roared back with three unanswered goals to make the game interesting. Then Campbell tallied his third goal to spear the Muskies’ illusion of a comeback.

Abbott Girduckis scored a pair of goals in the game. Newcomer Nik Coric earned his first point as a Duke assisting on Girduckis’s first goal. Josh Gervais score one and added a pair of assists. Meanwhile Erick Delaurentis and Kyle Paat each chipped in with three assists apiece.

DUKES 6 – STOUFFVILLE 2
Last year’s OJHL champions the Stouffville Spirit came to Wellington on Sunday. They needn’t have bothered. The teams skated through two competitive periods. It wasn’t until the final three seconds before Erick Delaurentis outskated the Stouffville defenceman for the loose puck. He flipped it over to wing man Josh Gervais alone in the slot. Gervais shovelled high, blocker side, giving the Dukes the lead going into the first intermission.

But early in the second the Spirit tied the score. Then Craig Campbell rushed the puck deep, attracting a crowd. Campbell managed to slip the puck over to Luc Brown who also took advantage of the Spirit netminder high.

The lead wouldn’t last. After kicking out a rare rebound, Larose was unable to swing his frame around to square himself with the puck. The bad angle shot that followed found its way past the netminder. The game was tied again.

The third period belonged to the Dukes. They clearly had the superior legs by 8:30 p.m. on Sunday night. Abbott Girduckis score one and assisted on two others. Quietly this winger has moved up the scoring ranks and now sit third among Dukes in goals scored. Craig Campbell scored and added another assist in the third. And call-up Geoff Cleminson scored—notching his first Junior ‘A’ goal.

Young defencemen Brody Morris finished off the third period rout as Girduckis passed the puck back to the blueline. Morris’s blast threaded through traffic for his second goal of the season.

SIDELINED
Captain Jan Kaminsky needed eight stitches to close a gash on his foot after being cut by a skate in Kingston last Thursday. Luckily the blade missed any major arteries or ligaments. Kaminsky hopes to be back in the lineup this weekend.

Meanwhile gritty forward Cam Nicoll will be sidelined for a few more weeks as he waits for a broken finger to heal.

Mike Soucier, Joe McKeown, Parker Wood and Hayden Lavigne will be back in Wellington this weekend.

UP NEXT: NEWMARKET, TRENTON AND WHITBY
The Dukes get on the bus on Thursday headed for Newmarket. The Hurricane sit solidly in first place in the North Division. In two previous games this season each team has won one—both games in Wellington. This is Wellington’s first visit to the top of Highway 404.

On Sunday the Dukes travel to Whitby to take on the team that is nipping hard on their heels.

TEDDY BEAR GAME
On Friday night Dukes fans are urged to bring a new teddy bear or other stuffed animal to the game against the Trenton Golden Hawks. The Wellington Dukes in conjunction with Loyalist College and Prince Edward County Firefighters will be hosting a Teddy Bear Toss during the game. The toss will take place at the conclusion of the Timbit game during the first intermission. Teddy bears and stuffed animals will be on sale for those who do not bring their own. The bears will be distributed to children in need of comfort.