The spotlight widens

Shuffling off to Buffalo

The Wellington Dukes rolled over Caledon on Friday night at home en route to their fifth win in seven games. The score flattered the visiting Admirals, as the Dukes dominated in every aspect of the game. Occasionally, Caledon would attempt to relieve the pressure with a long lead pass, but the Dukes repeatedly squeezed off the attack.

In the first period, Will Mitchell set up two lookalike goals. Working the puck deep on the wing, Mitchell centred the puck into the blue paint in front of the Caledon net. Liam Lucas redirected the first. Connor Hunt the second. The Dukes had a solid two-goal lead.

Early in the second, Sacha Trudel floated a perfect pass into Liam Lucas’s wheelhouse in the face-off circle. One timer. Pretty goal.

As the game wore on, the Dukes dialled back the intensity. Suddenly, the Admirals were getting chances and putting the puck on net. Midway through the second, the Admirals beat Dukes netminder Nolan Lane to make it interesting. But it wasn’t long before Colin Smith scored from the blueline, restoring the Dukes’ two-goal lead.

The Dukes tightened up defensively, yet Caledon was able to bury another marker in the third. But no further. The Dukes won 4-2. Wellington outshot Caledon 44-25.

UP NEXT: GOVERNOR’S SHOWCASE, MARKHAM AND MILTON
The Dukes are in Buffalo for the second time in as many weeks, this time to take part in the annual Governors’ Showcase tournament—an opportunity for OJHL teams and their players to gather in one spot and demonstrate their skills and abilities before scouts and recruiters from across North America.

On Tuesday night, Wellington will have faced the Toronto Junior Canadiens for the second time this season. (They lost the first game in overtime.) The Junior Canadiens currently lead the East Conference with 13 points after eight games.

On Wednesday, the Dukes face the Trenton Golden Hawks for the first time since the tumult of an offseason that saw the GM, coaches, training staff and key players pick up and move across the Bay of Quinte.

While the Trenton cast will be familiar to Dukes’ fans, for Dukes players, the Golden Hawks represents just another team—albeit one with an unbeaten record after five games.

On Friday, the Dukes are back on the road to Markham. The Royals have three wins in five games as of Monday.

The Dukes welcome the Milton Menace on Sunday for the first and only meeting this season. The Menace have become a bit of a powerhouse in the West Conference; they currently sit second with nine points after six games.