Smash mouth hockey

Dukes go toe-to-toe with the Cougars

This was always destined to be a bruising series. The Cobourg Cougars fought their way to the top of the East Division, playing a heavy game. Structured and disciplined, yet physical, sprinkled with some offensive talent.

And the Wellington Dukes understood that to compete in this series they would have to take the hits and rebound. They would have to give the Cobourg forwards no room to move. They would assure the Cobourg defence that when they ventured into the corner to retrieve the puck, the Dukes would finish their checks.

So it is that the series is tied at one game apiece (as of press time, with game three set for Tuesday night). Both teams are playing well enough to win this series. Each has laid claim to a better game plan. But one will falter. Let us pray that doesn’t happen until game seven. And the Dukes prevail.

GAME 1
The Dukes got off to an astonishing start in Cobourg on Saturday night. In front of the Cobourg faithful, the Cougars sent backup netminder Noah Featherstonhaugh Gowe out to face the Dukes. Featherstonhaugh Gowe is a good goalie—earning a 2.47 goals against average in 22 games for the Cougars and a decent save percentage (.912) during the regular season.

But on Saturday the Dukes got to him, early and often. Before the game was 13 minutes old, the Dukes had racked up a 3-0 lead, on goals from Dylan Massie, Ben Woodhouse and Nick Vitucci. Tyson Gilmour had a hand in two of the goals.

That was it for the Cobourg goalie. Deshahn Stewart took his place and the Cougars settled down. Stewart would not allow another Dukes goal in this game. In the second, Cobourg started back, beating Logan Bateman to get on the scoreboard.

Early in the third, Cobourg beat Bateman a second time. Now it was interesting. The Cougars turned up the intensity. Yet the Dukes stayed right with them.

Down to the final minutes. Cobourg pulled Stewart. But then Gilmour created a turnover— pass to Daniel Panetta. Empty net goal. Again Stewart was extracted in favour of a sixth attacker. Same result. Dukes defenceman Joe Roy forced the loose puck. Shot. Another empty net goal.

GAME 2
The following afternoon, it was Stewart who got the nod in the Cobourg net. It worked. For a while. The Dukes pelted shots from all angles upon the Cougar netminder and nothing was getting past. Stewart was starting to get in the heads of the Dukes’ shooters.

Meanwhile, Wellington had bigger issues, finding ways to clear their zone quickly—with a minimum of physical punishment. They were eager to play the game on the open ice—but determined to grind it out along the wall too.

In the first period, the Cougars forced a face-off near the Dukes net. In a set play, the Cobourg sniper lined up just a few feet behind his centre. The puck arrived quickly and left even faster. Bannister had his shot away before Bateman could adjust—picking the far corner.

Late in the period, the Dukes were pushing too hard for the equalizer on the power play. An unfortunate pinch by the Dukes defenceman in the Cobourg zone resulted in a three-on-one break. Bateman had no chance.

After a slew of Cobourg penalties in the first, it was the Dukes’ turn in the second. It was on the first of these power plays that Cobourg’s Brock Welsh ripped a onetimer from just outside the face-off circle. The score was 3-0 for the Cougars and the game wasn’t yet at the halfway mark.

The Dukes kept working. On their third power play in the second period, Woodhouse blasted a shot waist high from outside the face-off circle. Andrew Rinaldi—patrolling the tough ice in front of Stewart—managed to redirect Woodhouse’s shot into the net.

Now it was the Dukes who were in charge. Suddenly there was no room in the neutral zone for the Cougars. Nowhere to go. The Dukes were creating turnover after turnover. And getting chances. Then defensive sniper Zach Uens broke loose, outskating Cobourg’s defence. Shot. Goal.

Frank Vitucci (11) leans into his check as Cobourg forward Ryan Porter defies gravity in the Cougar zone.

In the third, the Dukes pushed for the tying goal. Then an unfortunate fluke. Bateman mishandled the puck behind his net. The forechecking Cougars were way too close for a clever play. Suddenly the puck bounced over the net and into the slot area, with Bateman stranded. It was too easy for the Cougars.

Yet the Dukes kept coming. Defenceman Quinn Hanna gained the Cougar zone. Vitucci rifled a shot from the face off circle. Ben Woodhouse buried the rebound. The Dukes were once again within a goal of tying the game. But that was it. Cobourg took game two.

But the Dukes showed they won’t quit. It promises to be a great series.

UP NEXT
The Dukes host the Cougars on Thursday evening in Wellington. Game five will be played in Cobourg on Friday night. Game six, if needed, is set for Sunday afternoon in Wellington.