Solid weekend

Dukes rebound with tenacity

In the early part of the season, it wasn’t clear what to make of Frank Vitucci. The 19-year-old winger from Philadelphia was fast and skilled, but easily riled. He had generated five points in his first five games in September. But then he went quiet. Nothing in his next eight games.

Then something changed. About two weeks ago. It became most apparent in the Dukes’ game against Kingston. Vitucci had found another gear. Rather than getting hammered repeatedly along the wall, the young American was sliding though those bone crushers. Part tenacity, part burst of speed. And then finding himself in the open with the puck. He did it again. And again.

Ben Woodhouse celebrates (26) as Zach Nelson’s point shot threaded through traffic into the Trenton zone. Both Woodhouse and Tyson Gilmour were in the gritty zone ready for a rebound—likely hindering the netminder’s attention.

Since then, Vitucci has earned five points in three games, including a hat trick in Wellington’s overtime win in Lindsay on Sunday evening. He added another in Monday’s narrow loss in Cobourg. He is succeeding with tenacity. Using his feet. An abundance of talent and skill is doing the rest.

Vitucci is the personification of the Dukes in late October. Brilliant when flying and pursuing on the forecheck and the backcheck. Speeding past, or around defenders. Otherwise, only ordinary.

Overall it was a good weekend for the Dukes. A bit uneven at times—but certainly big strides were made in the right direction. A signal, perhaps, that this team has turned a corner of sorts. That, of course, will only be known in time.

DUKES 5 – TRENTON 2
On Friday night the Dukes earned a solid road win in Trenton. Wellington had opened up a three-goal lead—on tallies from Zach Nelson and a pair from Andrew Rinaldi—by the time the Golden Hawks were awarded a penalty shot. Lafreniere offered no daylight and the Trenton shooter failed.

Rinaldi’s first goal came as a result of a headsup play by Nelson, who spotted the Dukes power forward stepping out of the penalty box. A long pass and Rinaldi was loose. And the game was tied.

Late in the second period and early in the final frame, the Golden Hawks rallied with a pair of goals. But the Dukes bounced back with Elijah Gonsalves combining with Tyson Gilmour for his sixth goal of the season.

Gonsalves and Tim Fallowfield conspired late in the game, and with the Trenton netminder on the bench in favour of an extra attacker, fed Rinaldi. He potted the puck into the empty net, securing the hat trick.

DUKES 5 – LINDSAY 4 OT
The Dukes trailed by a pair of goals heading into the first intermission in Lindsay on Sunday. This was a game of redemption. Coach John Druce had said that losing 6-5 a week earlier to the Muskies in Wellington should not have happened. His team had spotted the visiting team a 5-1 lead before mounting an ultimately failed comeback attempt.

So Sunday’s start was jarring reminder that the Muskies remain a proud team—with something to prove. The Dukes soon levelled the score early in the second, on goals from Jacob Vreugdenhil and Vitucci—ten seconds apart.

Ben Woodhouse scored on the power play early in the third. As the period wound down, the teams traded goals a minute apart, including Vitucci’s second goal of the game—unassisted.

But a couple of moments later the Muskies tallied again, sending the game into overtime. Lindsay pressed the play early in the extra frame, but it was the Dukes’ return rush that counted. Tyson Gilmour winning the battle for the puck. To Ben Roger. To Vitucci. Goal. His third of the game.

It was also Dannick Francoeur’s second win in the Dukes net in four starts.

Tyson Gilmour (19) attracts the attention of Trenton’s entire line by the Golden Hawks net. Still, Gilmour escaped to create a good scoring chance.

COBOURG 4 – DUKES 3
Oh, what might have been. This was a close fought match in Cobourg on Monday night. No scoring after the first period. Then a heartbreaker. A shorthanded goal early in the second. Followed 90 seconds later by another Cobourg goal. The Dukes firmed up and the score remained 2-0 until the roller coaster third period.

Very early in the period, Vitucci teed up Roger, whose shot found the back of the net. Then nothing. Suddenly with a little over five minutes remaining in regular time, all Hades broke out. Two more quick Cobourg goals. It was 4-1 and time was running out. Another team might have folded, saved their energy for another fight. Not this team, not this night. With less than three minutes remaining, Gonsalves set up Gilmour for a goal. Then 13 seconds later, Roger and Dylan Massie combined to help Woodhouse tally, drawing the Dukes within a goal of tying the game. Plenty of fury. Loads of pressure. But no tying goal. Time ran out and the Dukes fell 4-3. To the leading team in the East. A signal. Perhaps.

UP NEXT: LINDSAY AND BURLINGTON
For the third week in a row, the Dukes will take on the Lindsay Muskies. On Friday the Dukes travel back to the Kawartha Lakes region. The Muskies are a known quantity by now. The Dukes will know not to take this team for granted, nor to let up the pace if they get ahead.

On Sunday afternoon the Dukes finally return to Wellington as they host the Cougars of Burlington. This team has struggled this season with five wins in 17 starts. The Dukes downed the Cougars 5-3 in September, the only other time they have met this season. The Cougars have lost four of their last five games.