Bruised but unbroken

Ben Sokay scored four goals on Monday night, leading his team to victory in Wellington’s North-East quarterfinal series against the Aurora Tigers. Wellington won the series six games to two.

Dukes have little time to recharge for Trenton series

It was a tough series. Aurora isn’t blessed with an abundance of great playmakers or scorers. The Tigers make up for a lack of skill by playing tough, inyour- face hockey. It is a game of grinding down opponents. A game of attrition.

The Dukes’ skilled lineup was targeted all series long. Some were better at eluding the near-constant attention. Some played hurt.

Aided by some uneven refereeing, the Tigers were quite liberal in dispensing blows to the heads of the Dukes players—often well after the play had moved on. But even after losing Tyler Burnie, Shaw Boomhower and Nic Mucci periodically the Dukes never let the series get away from them.

Now, they get set to take on Trenton. Dukes coach and GM Marty Abrams says the road becomes steeper, beginning tonight.

“Our group is looking forward to the next series against Trenton and we are excited for the opportunity,” said Abrams. “We will need every player to step up to be successful.”

GAME 3: DUKES 3 – AURORA 5
A week ago, the Dukes went into the third period tied at two goals apiece. Jacob Panetta fired a low shot from the point that Dylan Mascarin managed to redirect. The Dukes had the lead and looked like they might skate home with the victory. But two backto- back goals put Aurora back on top. An empty net goal sealed the win.

GAME 4: DUKES 1 – AURORA 5
The tiny rink in Aurora suited the Tigers’ grinding fore-checking style. But it didn’t help that the Dukes repeatedly rewarded Aurora with extra man rushes. Lafrenière managed to stop a couple but the score was 3-0 going into the third period. The Dukes’ Matt Adams patiently weaved his way through the Tigers defence, scoring Wellington’s first goal. It seemed the Dukes had shaken off their defensive breakdowns— Ben Sokay, in particular, was finding room to manoeuvre but couldn’t close the Tigers lead. He hadn’t figured out yet that the Tigers’ netminder can’t stop a puck through the fivehole. That would come later.

Another defensive breakdown made the score 4-1. The Tigers added another on the powerplay.

GAME 5: DUKES 4 – AURORA 3
Back in Wellington on Sunday afternoon, the Tigers opened the scoring on the power play. Sam Tanguay got the start in net. Sokay scored the first of two goals midway through the second period. But Aurora tied it again four minutes later.

Sokay scored on the power play early in the third period and Matt Adams added an insurance marker. It was needed. With 90 seconds left in the game, Aurora pulled its netminder. Almost immediately, Jacob Hetherington ably gathered up the loose puck from the corner and hit Luc Brown streaking up his wing. Brown skated with the puck until he knew he couldn’t miss. He didn’t. But the Tigers weren’t done. Still with the netminder on the bench—Aurora pinballed the puck into the Dukes’ net.

It made for intense play in the dying seconds— but the Dukes emerged with the 4-3 win.

Defenceman Jacob Panetta had to keep his wits about him in the Aurora series, as he was a regular target of the Tigers’ forecheckers.

GAME 6: DUKES 6 – AURORA 5 OT
Wellington travelled to Aurora with the chance to win the series on Monday night. In the early going, it looked like it might be another long night as Aurora scored on the power play just minutes into the game.

But a few moments later, Dylan Mascarin fed Ben Sokay a slick break-out pass. Luc Brown was on the other wing. Sokay shot at the five-hole and scored. He would file that away. A moment later, Hetherington’s point shot was deflected by Tyler Burnie—back in the Dukes lineup—and the Dukes had the lead. Another moment later, Brown led a rush, passing to Bean at the top of the slot, down to Sokay at the side of the net. Fivehole. A pattern was emerging.

But Aurora came back with two quick goals to tie the game at three goals apiece.

In the second, the Tigers took the lead breaking out of the cycle with the puck to the Dukes’ net.

Sokay had more to do. A moment later, Brown hit Sokay up the middle—the gifted forward skated wide and through the puck into the five-hole. It worked again. The game was tied.

Midway through the frame, Mascarin was controlling the play along the wall. Brown was going to the net with a Tiger defencemen draped over him. Mascarin sent the puck toward the net. Brown managed to swat at the puck the backhand while being pushed toward the corner. The shot beat Boyko and the Dukes had regained the lead.

It didn’t hold. Seconds into the third period, Aurora scored, tying the game at five. It stayed that way until nearly three minutes had elapsed in overtime. Mascarin gained the zone and passed to Sokay in the slot. Checked on the play, the puck skipped passed the defender. Sokay leaped around the Tigers play and swatted at the puck. Toward the five-hole.

It was the game and series winner.

UP NEXT: TRENTON
The Golden Hawks are a solid all-around hockey club. Most of the season, Trenton dominated the OJHL and was ranked tops in the country. Yet the Dukes beat them twice— ekeing out a draw in four games in the regular season.

The Golden Hawks made easy work of dispensing with the Newmarket Hurricanes in the first round—allowing just four goals. This series will pose a much more serious test for the Dukes.