On fire

Dukes notch three shutouts on a six-game win streak

The Dukes rolled over a pair of SouthEast Conference rivals on the weekend the way bees protect their hive. Waves and waves of attackers swarming their enemy, near constant bombardment, forcing them into retreat, then exhaustion, then defeat. It was unrelenting.

It wasn’t particularly good hockey. The North York Rangers and Mississauga Chargers were more victims rather than competitors. Not for a moment was the outcome in either game in doubt. Only the measure of the thumping was in question.

This week shall prove the real test of the suddenly unstoppable Wellington Dukes. On Thursday, the Dukes visit St. Mikes fresh off Buzzer wins against Toronto Junior Canadians and the Lindsay Muskies. On Friday, it’s Collingwood—ranked number two in the nation, with six wins in its last seven games. On Sunday, Wellington heads to Toronto to face the Junior Canadians—currently atop the Conference with 19 wins and three losses to start the season. A key November weekend.

WELLINGTON 8 – NORTH YORK 4
It wasn’t pretty. The Dukes overwhelmed the visiting Rangers from the puck drop. Four unanswered goals in the first period. David Campbell stripped the puck from the tired defender. Down to Jacob Vreugdenhil. Back pass to Matheson Mason in the slot. Goal. And so it went. Vreugdenhil followed with a power play goal. Connor Paronuzzi. And Connor Hunt.

As the teams skated off for the first intermission, it felt like nothing was going to slow down the Dukes. Except for the Dukes themselves. Still, Wellington kept coming. But now they were kept more to the outside. And North York was getting some legit shots on net.

Then back-to-back penalties. The Rangers tallied a power play goal. Seconds later, another North York goal. This seemed to make Corbin Roach mad. The energetic winger combined with Paronuzzi for a pair of goals—the second a brilliant, extra-effort wrap-around goal—just moments after the Rangers had gotten on the board.

The Dukes’ Edward Moskowitz scored another power play goal in the third. But then the Dukes’ rugged defensive posture fell apart. North York tallied again. Ryan Smith scored on the power play to minimize the damage. But another North York goal. Inexplicable.

Both the score and the shot clock flattered North York. But for some lapses in structure and attention to detail, this was a thorough drubbing by the Wellington Dukes.

WELLINGTON 10 – MISSISSAUGA 0
It was worse for Mississauga. Having learned the risk of letting up after running up the lead on a lesser-yet-still-talented team in Friday’s game, the Dukes pulled no punches on Sunday afternoon.

Three goals in the first. The first was a shorthanded goal in which Dukes’ defenceman J.H. Lages served up a long pass along the wall. The speedy Barrett Joynt caught up with the puck low in the Chargers’ zone. Back to Lucas LaPalm in the slot. Beauty. Then a power play gem from Captain Vreugdenhil—slick puck movement, face-off-dot to face-off-dot, to the blue paint. Goal.

Four more Dukes goals in the second. Another from Joynt—his fourth in five games back with the Dukes—LaPalm, Mason, and Jared Langdon, newly committed to NCAA 1 Clarkson University.

The hurt continued in the third. Langdon worked his way into the Charger zone, attracting two defenders. He spun around and put the puck on Corbin Roach’s stick in the midslot. Rifle shot. Top corner.

It was 8-0 midway through the third, and Mississauga was still trying to solve the Dukes. When one attempt to carry the puck through the neutral zone resulted in a turnover, the frustrated-as-hell Charger forward tried a solo attempt. He got as far as the Dukes blueline before he coughed up the puck. A three-onone. The other way. Mitchell Young with Barrett Joynt and Connor Paronnuzi. Two slick passes later, Paronuzzi was staring at an empty net. 9-0.

Connor Hunt added another to seal the rout.

Ethan Morrow earned his second shutout of the season—with credit due to his teammates, who seemingly made the decision to keep up the intensity for 60 minutes.

UP NEXT: ST. MIKES, COLLINGWOOD AND TORONTO JCS
A tough weekend should prove the measure of the Wellington Dukes. St. Michaels sits just below the Dukes in the SE conference. The Buzzers have shown they can compete with any other in the OJHL. In two previous matches, the Dukes edged St. Mikes 3-2 and played to a 3-3 draw in mid-October.

Collingwood has been touted as the best team in the league since the season began, and their record supports the claim. Nevertheless, Cobourg beat the Blues a week ago, while the Trenton Golden Hawks battled back from a three-goal deficit to tie their game against Collingwood on Friday, only to lose in overtime. Friday’s game in Wellington is the only time these teams play in the regular season.

On Sunday, the Dukes head to Downsview to face-off against the Junior Canadiens. Tyler Fukakusa is a oneman wrecking ball in the OJHL—having racked up 50 points in his first 22 games this season. He has the most goals and most assists in the league. His linemate Matthew Wilde has the most shots in the OJHL. Yet, the Buzzers managed to limit this duo to a single goal on Sunday as St. Mikes handed the Junior Canadiens just their third loss of the season.