Stiffened

Fortified defence restore Dukes to their winning ways

The Wellington Dukes rebounded with a pair of wins in recent days (Tuesday’s result came after press time), coming off three worrying losses a week ago. The wins also marked a return of some defensive structure and poise that had all but vanished during the skid. The turn of fortunes came (perhaps not coincidentally) with the arrival of sturdy veteran blueliner Quinn Hanna to the Dukes squad.

Hanna is a 19-year-old who played 83 games in major junior leagues over the past two years, more than half of these with the OHL’s Guelph Storm. He immediately inserted some order to Dukes’ defence corps that had been in some disarray. Slowing the play down when needed, making the simple high-percentage pass to the Dukes forwards. Adrift defensively for three games, the Dukes may have found their stablilizer.

Sturdy and reliable defender Quinn Hanna (14) has had an immediate calming impact on his new team since joining the Dukes last week. In two games Hanna has also notched a pair of assists.

LOSS IN KINGSTON
While the Dukes struggled to protect their own zone, confidence began to ebb up and down the lineup. Last Thursday in Kingston, the Dukes tallied 40 shots, but came away with out a goal, slipping 2-0 to the Voyageurs. More troublingly, both Kingston goals came on the power play—with Dukes players cooling their overheated heels in the penalty box. Not for nothing, the Dukes remain the most penalized team after three weeks into the regular season. (Important qualifier: Wellington has played more games so far in September than every other team in the league, save for St. Michael. Both teams had completed eight games as of Tuesday morning.)

REBOUND AT HOME
Andrew Rinaldi had a particularly strong game on Friday night in Wellington. The strong power forward set the tone early, searing up the wing and pushing hard to the net. While he was unable to convert his first couple of chances, the message was sent: Mississauga would have to devote more resources to defending against the Dukes’ workhorse.

Soon enough this opened up opportunities for his linemates.

So it was that Hanna slid the puck along the wall to Rinaldi in the early going on Friday. Seeing some space, Rinaldi charged up the wing. He then veered hard to the net. But this time, with the defence gathering around him, he slid the puck across the slot. Keenan Eddy was on the far side, ready for the gift. A redirect and the Dukes had the lead.

Late in the first period, the Dukes were under some pressure in their zone, but Zach Uens claimed the puck just a few feet from his own net. Rinaldi was already breaking up the centre. Uens’ pass was on the tape. Rinaldi galloped unfettered into the Chargers’ zone. One move. Shot. Goal.

Thirty-eight seconds later Daniel Panetta engineered a drive into the Mississauga end. To Uens. To Adam Usinger. Goal.

Wellington tallied four more unanswered goals in the second period. Uens. Dalton Bancroft. And two more from Eddy, his second and third of the game. Uens’ goal—a belt-high shot through traffic spelled the end of the game for the Chargers’ goalie Lucas Durante. His backup, Matthew Sbrocca, fared no better.

Olivier Lafreniere ensures he is positioned to make the stop and limit any rebounds. The Dukes netminder earned his first shutout of the season on Friday, helping his team to a 9-0 drubbing of the Mississauga Chargers. He also has a pair of assists on the season.

With a 7-0 lead, the Dukes eased up a bit in the third, but still managed a pair of goals and several more chances. The Chargers just wanted to go home. Frank Vitucci and Ben Woodhouse finished the scoring for the Dukes.

Zach Uens earned a goal and three helpers in the game. Eddy had tallied a hat trick. Rinaldi had a goal and a pair of assists. Meanwhile Lafreniere likely leads OJHL goalies with two assists.

COME-FROM-BEHIND IN BUFFALO
The Dukes travelled to Buffalo on Monday for a pair of games as part of the Governor’s Showcase—a three-day tournament where all OJHL teams come together to compete and display their young talent to a crowd of mostly college scouts and recruiters.

The Dukes fell behind in this game against the Burlington Cougars. Twice. While the Dukes outshot Burlington decisively (12-7), it was the Cougars who emerged from the first period with a 2-1 lead, the second goal coming from the stick of former Dukes player Jeff Burridge. But between Burridge’s and Burlington’s first goal, Elijah Gonsalves scored on the power play.

The Cougars scored again seconds into the second period. Like a splash of cold water, the Dukes stiffened defensively and set to work erasing Burlington’s lead. Frank Vitucci on the power play. Another Gonsalves goal early in the third. On the power play. Jacob Vreugdenhil’s goal, midway through the third gave the Dukes the lead. Defenceman Ben Roger scored a moment later to seal the Dukes’ come-from-behind win.

Dannick Francoeur earned his first win as a Dukes player.

UP NEXT: TRENTON AND NORTH YORK
The Dukes welcome cross-bay rivals the Trenton Golden Hawks to Wellington on Friday night. The Golden Hawks are backstopped by a strong netminder in Ben Allard Robitaille, who after four games has goals against average of just 1.58. In four games so far in the young season, Trenton has won a pair, lost one and deadlocked against Aurora in the other.

On Sunday, the Dukes travel to North York to take on the South Division’s Rangers. North York has two wins and matching losses after four games.