The grind

Dukes plough through schedule with key bits on the sideline

It was a sideways week for the Dukes as they skated to a thrilling win against Trenton, but lost a couple of games to lesser teams. Perhaps a lack of practice, of injuries or perhaps it is just the toll taken from playing so many games in so few days.

Whatever the cause, the pace doesn’t let up as the Dukes face three games in four days—Friday in Wellington against Mississauga, Sunday in Trenton and back at the DukeDome on Monday to take on the Caledon Admirals.

The good news is that Wellington firmed up their position in second place in the East Division and narrowed the gap between themselves and the first place Golden Hawks.

They are doing so with too many Dukes sidelined by injury, including Graham Dickerson and Erik McNeil. Mason Reeves missed Friday’s game, and Creo Solomon was sidelined for Sunday’s match with Cobourg.

DUKES 1 – NORTH YORK 3
The Rangers got to Dukes’ netminder Ethan Morrow early a week ago Wednesday, scoring three goals in the first 10 minutes of the game. Jacob Vreugdenhil scored on the power play late in the second, but Wellington’s offence fizzled after that.

DUKES 5 – TRENTON 3
It was a much more energetic affair back in Wellington on Friday night. Many of the Golden Hawk faithful travelled to the County to boost their team. But their enthusiasm dimmed considerably after the Dukes scored twice in the first.

The Golden Hawks swarmed the Dukes’ zone—but Jonathan Balah regained the puck and sent a long stretch pass to Corbin Roach, who, spotting the opportunity, had sprinted to the Trenton blueline. Roach gathered up Balah’s pass and skated to the net with a kettle of Golden Hawks on his tail. A quick move. Top shelf. The Dukes had the lead. Just 43 seconds later, Trenton was back on their heels, with the Dukes pressing. Will Mitchell redirected Liam Whittaker’s point shot, and the Dukes were leading by two.

Will Mitchell got a couple of whacks at the bouncing rebound, but was unable to put the puck into the gaping net.

Later in the period, the Dukes went on the power play after a Trenton player was penalized for hooking. Wellington set up in the Golden Hawk zone. Moved the puck around the outside. Balah’s shot from the high slot. Barrett Joynt tip. Goal.

Trenton came back in the second—scoring on a redirected shot early in the period. Later the Golden Hawks scored on the power play. It was getting interesting.

But with just over a minute left in the frame, Vreugdenhil forced the Golden Hawk defender to cough up the puck. The rest of the Trenton team was already headed to the Wellington zone. Vreugdenhil had time. Picked his spot. Fired. It was a Golden Hawk killer.

Trenton would beat Morrow midway through the third, but David Campbell forced a turnover late in the game, feeding Emmet Pierce, who buried the empty-net goal, crushing any lingering Trenton heroics.

DUKES 3 – COBOURG 4 OT
Perhaps after Friday night’s thrilling win, it was a challenge to find the killer instinct Sunday afternoon. But Cobourg was a known entity. Wellington had won just two of five previous games against the Cougars this season.

Yet, the game was mostly a lack-lustre defensive struggle, at least in the early going. After Cobourg scored on the power play, Captain Pierce gathered up the puck from the wall and navigated to the mid-slot and ripped a wrister. Top corner. Tying the game.

That is how this game went. Barret Joynt gave the Dukes the lead on the power play. The Cougars scored again to restore the draw. Midway through the third, David Campbell stealthily robbed the Cougar defender of the puck. Alone on net he juked right, then left. Shot. Stopped. But Campbell picked up his own rebound. The Dukes had the lead.

But then a really flukey and unfortunate thing happened. Cobourg’s sniper George Krotiris ripped a shot into Matt Dunsmoor in the Dukes’ net. Dunsmoor stopped it. Sort of. The puck trickled behind him, and came to a stop before the goalmouth. Only Krotiris noticed the puck just sitting there. He swooped behind the Dukes’ netminder, swatting in a gift, tying the game.

An unpleasant game turned sour late in the overtime period when a Dukes forward—under pressure— attempted to slide the puck across the Cobourg blueline. It was intercepted. Cougar breakaway. Goal.

Much jawing ensued. But this disappointing game was over.

UP NEXT: MISSISSAUGA, TRENTON AND CALEDON
Wellington beat the Mississauga Chargers 4-1 in the first game of the season in October. Since then, the Chargers have won just six games and languish at the bottom of the OJHL. Mississauga has just a single win in their last ten games—managing just 1.4 goals-for-average over that span.

The Golden Hawks will be looking for revenge as the Dukes visit Trenton on Saturday. A Wellington win would seriously heat up the race for first in the East. Just in time for the playoffs.

Like the Chargers, the Admirals of Caledon are having a woeful season with just seven wins in 41 games. Both teams have already been eliminated from postseason play.