Undefeated

Dukes’ record remains perfect in five games

Dukes forward Simon Bessette carries the puck up the ice during play on Friday night at the DukeDome

It is hard to know what else the Wellington Dukes will have to do to move up in the Canadian Junior Hockey League national rankings. The Dukes are the last undefeated team in the league. The netminding tandem of Jordan Ruby and Ryan McDonald has allowed the fewest goals by a wide margin—yet the team sits in 13th spot in the rankings behind Upper Canada College and the Markham Waxers, who hold the top spot with poorer records. Last week, despite a perfect record, the Dukes didn’t even make the list.

Fortunately the national ranking doesn’t mean a whole lot, other than once again the Wellington Dukes can claim to be among the top 10 of all 137 junior hockey CJHL teams across the country.

SLAYING THE KNIGHTS

The Dukes continued their winning ways on Friday night as they hosted the Villanova Knights for the first time in the DukeDome. The Dukes gained control early as Simon Bessette gathered the puck along the boards, and made a couple slick moves toward
the slot, before netting a high wrister.

Moments later the Dukes were graced with back-to-back power play opportunities. Worryingly, the Dukes looked their most fragile with the man advantage. The Knights’ penalty killing unit penned the Dukes in their own end, unable to organize a solid breakout.

But with five-on-five restored the Dukes took charge as Jeff Carroll, Simon Bessette (with his second), Sean Rudy and Zack Jones opened a 5-0 lead by the end of the second period. In the first two periods the Dukes pelted Knights goalie Jordan Lockhurst with 35 shots.

The Knights spoiled Jordan Ruby’s shutout bid with a power play goal late in the third.

The game highlighted the fact that the early challenge for the Dukes is to avoid playing down to the level of their competition. Now back in the 31-team OJHL, the Dukes are facing a much wider breadth of talent an opposing teams. Some, like Kingston and Markham, are very competitive; many others seem likely to struggle at this level this year. The disparity is most evident in the standings with a huge point spread between the top and the bottom teams, fewer than 10 games into the season.

WAKE-UP CALL

Overconfidence may have been lurking in the back of the Dukes players’ minds on Sunday. Perhaps it was too much roast beef. Whatever the cause, the Dukes had a sluggish start to the game in Pickering on Sunday night.

Dukes defenceman Cole Murduff

The team, however, received a rude awakening midway through the first as Zach Allen was sent to the penalty box for slashing. Pickering’s Tyler VonEngelbrechten scored on the ensuing power play.

The Dukes trailed the game for only the second time in this young season.

Pickering had stirred the giant. The Dukes pushed back. In the second frame, Wellington drew even on a marker from Sean Rudy. Pickering responded with an even-strength goal to regain the lead—but only momentarily. By then the Dukes had their heads back in the game. Less than a minute later Darcy Greenaway tallied to tie the game at two goals apiece. Cam Yuill added another shortly thereafter. Zack Jones added yet another two minutes later.

Even trailing on the scoreboard, the Dukes were confident they would emerge with a win. Confidence is vital. Overconfidence can be a hazard.

Dukes statistician David Brown notes this week that of the 11 goals scored against the Dukes so far this season, just five have been even-strength goals—or an average of a goal per game. This is evidence, Brown suggests, of yet another sound defensive Dukes squad in 2010/11.

UP NEXT: NORTH YORK—HOME AND AWAY

The North York Rangers trace their junior hockey roots back to 1969 when they were located in Richmond Hill and went by the nicknames “Rams” and later “Dynes.” In 1992 the team moved to North York to become the Rangers. Notable North York Ranger alumni graduating to the NHL include Curtis Joseph, Dave Lumley and Stephen Weiss.

So far this season North York is playing .500 hockey, and sits in the bottom half of the South Division. They spread scoring over their top six forwards but watch for Eli Swallow- Kim, Ernest Valente, and Jacob Valente. On the back end Marcus Yolevski is the Rangers’ greatest power play threat.

The Dukes welcome the North York Rangers to the DukeDome on Friday night.