The stretch

Dukes need just one more win to take the East Division Championship

The Wellington Dukes cracked the national top ten rankings (ninth overall) this week on the back of wins against three of the best teams in the OJHL over the past week and a bit. After a come-from-behind overtime win in Oakville the previous weekend, the Dukes then vanquished the Toronto Patriots on national television last week. But they saved their best game of the season against the visiting Toronto Junior Canadiens on Friday night—sending the petit Habs home with a stunning display of speed and tenacity.

James White finishes his check along the wall in the second. The Dukes checking in general, and White in particular, managed to get under the Junior Canadiens’ skin. In the third, Toronto took their second five-minute penalty by slew-footing White to the ice.

The JCs are big and fast. And the swarthy pirates are old. Seventeen players are 20—or will be this year. They have been assembled to win this season. But they were given a stiff reminder that speed wins in this league.

As it became evident very early, the Junior Canadiens needed to slow the speedy Dukes down. So they dialled up their physical game. But that led to penalties. Early in the first frame, Toronto’s captain and leading pointsgetter, Matthew O’Brien, stuck his knee into Dukes forward Justin Paul whizzing past him in the neutral zone. Paul went down clutching his leg. O’Brien earned a five-minute major and was tossed from the match. The game wasn’t yet a minute-old.

On the power play, James White carried the puck down the left wing into the Toronto zone, with Evan Miller and Ben Woodhouse spread across the ice, skating stride for stride. Pass across to Miller. He let it by him. The puck made it onto Woodhouse’s stick. Shot. Goal. The goalie and everyone in the Wellington rink believed Miller would be the shooter.

As the power play was winding down, the Dukes’ Ryan Smith won the face-off in the Junior Canadiens’ end. Back to Dawson Ellis, poised in a shooting lane. Low wrister. Goal. The Dukes had a two-goal lead.

Late in the period, with Toronto’s bench feeling aggrieved and pushing for a comeback, Quinn Hanna let a high shot sail from the blueline. Dylan Massie, poised just outside the blue paint, tapped the puck out of the air. To the ice in front of him. Swat. Goal. Dukes led 3-0.

Now, it must be said, early on in this report that Matt Dunsmoor delivered a superb game on Friday. While the Dukes rarely allowed the Junior Canadiens to move freely with the puck, this experienced and talented team still managed to create solid scoring chances. But Dunsmoor was equal to the task at every turn. A well-earned shut-out.

But this game was mostly about tenacious and relentless checking, all over the ice. There was no place for the Junior Canadiens to hide. The Dukes forced the team to make decisions quickly—invariably leading to turnovers. Toronto managed just 20 shots on Dunsmoor in this game.

The second period saw more penalties but no scoring. Still tons of speed. Up and down the ice. In the third, Frank Vitucci scored his 36th goal of the season, from Miller and Jake Gagnon. One final push from the Toronto Junior Canadiens— and then nonsense.

A slew-foot to James White, away from the play, earned Toronto another five-minute major—for intent to injure. More penalties. Inciting. Roughing. The final few minutes of the game served only to embarrass the visiting Junior Canadiens.

When the final buzzer sounded, the Wellington fans erupted in cheering for their team and a truly thrilling victory.

Defenceman Noah Massie (23) braces himself to protect the puck, with enough room to make a play.

DUKES 7 – COBOURG 2
On Monday night the Dukes romped through Cobourg, led by Jacob Vreugdenhil with a pair of goals. The outcome was never in question. Vreugdenhil and Brodie McDougall each scored in the first period. A quiet second period ended with a goal for each side—Dylan Massie notching his 16th of the season. But midway through the third, Wellington sealed the outcome with three unanswered goals from Dawson Ellis (on the power play), Brett Humberstone (unassisted) and another from Vreugdenhil. The Cougars got one by Matt Dunsmoor with 20 seconds remaining in the game. A consolation prize of sorts.

Jake Gagnon earned a pair of assists giving him 66 on the season, so far—just behind Frank Vitucci among Dukes players, 10th overall in the OJHL.

UP NEXT: TRENTON AND MARKHAM
The East Division Championship is within reach. With the win in Cobourg on Monday, the Dukes need only a win in Trenton on Friday or in Wellington against Markham on Saturday.

For Trenton, they no longer control their ranking. They need to win on Friday and for Markham to play spoiler on Saturday. That means the Golden Hawks will be desperate—not just for the win, but to demonstrate to their fans they can succeed against the Dukes.

Markham is an unknown quantity. They will also be a worried squad as they try to avoid playing a wild card game with Brantford for the final playoff spot in the NorthWest conference. Markham has accumulated more four more losses than wins this season— with five of those losses in overtime.

Markham is in Wellington for a rare Saturday game. Puck drop is 7:30 p.m.