Hard way to lose

Brody Morris’s one-timer beats Whitby netminder Tyler Feaver.

Dukes drop two games by a single goal

The Dukes saw two games slip out of their hands on the weekend—losing each by just a single goal. These were painful points to let go. It is becoming a pattern. Eight of the Dukes’ last 12 games have been decided by one goal. In all but two of these games, the Dukes came out on the losing end.

These were games the Dukes could have—should have—won. They were, for long stretches at least, the better team on the ice in both matches—but finished on the losing end of the score.

It seems much too soon to be fretting about the post-season—but with just five games to go in 2014, the Dukes are currently on the outside of the playoff picture, looking in. Both Stouffville and Newmarket have a better record and winning percentage than the Dukes.

Just as worrying is that both Pickering and Lindsay are just a winning streak away from catching the Dukes in the North East conference.

But the Dukes’ season is still in their hands. There is still time.

WHITBY 4 – DUKES 3
It was a bad start. Nic Coric, a former Dukes player, drilled a high shot, looking for the top corner. The Dukes’ Taylor Welsh saw the puck and snatched it out of the air—a routine play. Not quite. The puck leaked out of Welsh’s glove and dribbled over the red line. Whitby had the lead, and the game was just minutes old. Three minutes later, the Dukes were caught chasing the play in their own end. That often spells trouble. Whitby defenceman Jason Wu snapped a hard pass from the blueline to his forward, sitting at Welsh’s back step. One time. Goal. It was a pretty, well executed play.

The Dukes were down two goals in the period, despite outshooting the Fury.

In the second period, the Dukes pushed harder. Marco Azzano extended his point-getting streak to 11 games—finishing a play in which linemates Luc Brown and Josh Supryka each had a chance to score.

But moments later, Whitby scored again. Not to be outdone, the Dukes responded on the power play with a goal, in which captain Joe McKeown dug the puck out of the corner and teed up defenceman Brody Morris, who had sneaked in from the blueline. One timer. Bang. The Dukes were back within one goal.

The Fury scored again in the third period. The Dukes responded. Midway through the final period, Jacob Panetta joined the rush and let loose a shot on net. Will Cook scooped up the rebound, and the Dukes were back within a goal.

They would get good chances. The clang of the puck colliding with the goalpost sounded how close the Dukes came to tying the game. But when the buzzer sounded, the Dukes were still short a goal.

It was an exciting game—Dukes fans have had plenty of those—but another chance to move up in ranks had slipped away.

Set for the face-of are (L-R): Griffin McCarty, Jacob Hetherington and Wes St. Amand.

OAKVILLE 5 – DUKES 4
For the second time in a month, the Dukes faced off against the Oakville Blades with a depleted lineup. On November 15, the Dukes lost 4-3 in Oakville, with Panetta, Morris, Welsh and Abbott Girduckis away, skating in the Central Canada Junior A allstar tournament.

On Sunday, the same foursome were out of the Dukes lineup as the team welcomed Oakville to Wellington. Girduckis, Panetta, Morris and Welsh were competing for roster spots on Team Canada East. The World Junior A Challenge takes place next week in Kindersley, Saskatchewan.

Sadly, that isn’t where the similarity between the games ended. Once again the Dukes had a bad start. Before the game was a period old, the Blades owned a 3-0 lead. Too much confusion in the Dukes’ zone.

But early in the second period, Wellington regrouped. On the power play, Andrew Coupland skated a full stride from the blueline and found the top corner with his shot.

Eleven seconds later, Ben Sokay made a brilliant play sliding the puck across the goal crease to linemate Wes St. Amand. St. Amand finished the play—swatting the puck into the yawning net.

Later in the period, Brown, Azzano and Supryka combined to tie the game. Thirty one seconds later McKeown forced a neutral zone turnover and headed to the net with Brandon Kosik on his wing. Just one defender. McKeown held the puck until he was almost out of real estate. Only then did the pass come to Kosik. Open net. Goal.

The Dukes had the lead for the first time in the game. The first time in two games.

They couldn’t hold it. Forty seconds later, Oakville scored, tying the game again. And with time running out in the second period, the Blades scored once more.

The Dukes still had the third period. But the Blades settled back, content to break up any Wellington rush. The Dukes outshot Oakville 9-2 in the period, but couldn’t tie the game.

Once again, the Dukes had provided a thrilling game—but no happy ending.

UP NEXT: KINGSTON, TORONTO LAKESHORE, COBOURG
The Dukes travel to Kingston on Thursday to visit the Voyageurs. This is just the second meeting between these East division rivals. The Vees won that game 5-1 in Kingston in late September. Kingston owns a strong offensive threat with the third most goals in the OJHL, led by Adam Brady and Alex Tonge.

On Friday night, the Dukes welcome back the Dudley Hewitt champs, Toronto Lakeshore. The last time this team was in Wellington, they edged past the Dukes 2-1 in a jam-packed Essroc Arena, earning a berth in the RBC Cup Championship. Winners in four of their past five games, Toronto Lakeshore sits confidently in second place in the South division.

On Monday, the Dukes travel to Cobourg to take on the Cougars. Cobourg sits atop the East division and the Dukes mightily need wins to begin ratcheting its way up the standings.