Closing the gap
Dukes must find a way to convert strong performances into wins It was over in a few seconds. Thirty minutes of hard work and tenacity erased in 36 seconds. The Wellington Dukes had played well. Better than that, they had dominated the visiting Golden Hawks at home through the first period—at one point outshooting the […]
Unexplainable
Dukes win one, lose one and lose another they should have won Some games are simply inexplicable— where the final score bears little resemblance to the contest you just witnessed. Sunday’s game between Wellington and Whitby was just such an oddity. The Dukes lost the game 6-3. But by nearly every other measure, the Dukes […]
In tough
On the back of a disappointing losing skid, Dukes face three tough opponents this week It was a tough game to lose. A game that got away from the Dukes. A loss that defies easy explanation. The Wellington Dukes were up by a pair of goals by Nic Mucci. Mitch Mendonca had assisted in both. […]
Bumping along
A win and overtime loss against teams the Dukes needed to beat As long as the score stayed close, Aurora remained civil. When it became clear they would lose—in Wellington— a fact that became evident in the latter stages of the second period—the Tigers looked for redemption in other more illmannered ways. After losing two […]
Near misses
Two losses spoil a strong effort Connor Ryckman was brilliant. That must be said before anything else. The netminder was at times simply astonishing on Friday night—stopping nearly everything thrown at him. Even as the puck bounced off his chest and seemed destined to fall into the net behind him, Ryckman snapped his glove behind […]
Back in the hunt
Two wins get the Dukes on track Cobourg has lost just two games in 15 starts this season. Both losses have been delivered by the Wellington Dukes. Cobourg will host the RBC Cup in May and has assembled a team it believes will take them to the national tournament on merit rather than by default. […]
Sideways
Dukes hit rough patch After a powerful start in September, the Wellington Dukes are skidding sideways in October—in a division that punishes anything but top performance each and every game. So it is that the Dukes find themselves on Monday morning, second from the bottom of the East Division after flirting with the league leaders […]
Slip
The Dukes look to reboot with games against Newmarket and Pickering The East is a tough division. Its lowest ranked team, the Kingston Voyageurs, would occupy the middle of the pack or better in any other OJHL division. All five teams in the East own a winning record so far in the 2016/17 season. It’s not the […]
On top
Dukes share OJHL lead after ten games Ten games into the 2016/17 regular season and the Wellington Dukes share the OJHL points lead with Trenton. Meanwhile, Dukes forwards Brayden Stortz and Nic Mucci lead the league with 29 and 22 points respectively, and netminder Connor Ryckman has stopped 308 shots and sits third among all OJHL […]
Emergence
Lesser-known Dukes begin to shine The Wellington Dukes are in Buffalo this week participating in the Governors’ Showcase tournament—an opportunity for scouts and recruiters to examine the current crop of OJHL talent in one rink. It is a chance, too, for unheralded players to shine and perhaps catch the attention of a school or hockey […]