Ewan Wilson, a

 

The South Dundas “Pizza Hut” Atom B Rep Lions were defeated in their opener here on Saturday night at the hands of the visiting NGS Braves. The Lions who were 1-2-1 in exhibition play coming off a win last week against South Stormont couldn’t survive the offensive pressure of the Braves, 5-1.

With the score 2-1 Braves half way through the third period, the Lions looked to tie the game up but were set back on their heels by the Braves offense. 

The Lions gave up three goals in just over a minute to put the game away. 

Braves forward Barret Rutters completed his hat trick with goals eight seconds apart, one on a passing play and the other one on a break from centre. 

The Braves forwards drove the net and isolated the Lions defenceman allowing forwards to find themselves wide open and able to get their passes through on consecutive plays.

Lions goaltender Brendan Shaver was strong throughout the game and made lots of keys saves early, but with the score 1-1 in the second period and the Lions on the power play, Braves forward M. Brownlee broke down the Lions wing and wristed a shot off the post and off Shavers left pad into the net to give the Braves the lead. 

The Lions tried to respond later in the period when Jack Connors received a pass from Owen Fetterly and skated freely into the Braves zone before wristing a shot over the net.

In the first period, the Lions came out strong and carried the play grabbing an early lead on a line change. 

Jayden Rowe and Jaeden Phifer-Shaver got caught up on the bench and the puck hit Phifer-Shaver. Ben Lapier picked it up and stick handled across the ice into the Braves end to beat both defenceman before putting a move on the Braves goalie to open him so he could slide home a backhand shot through the five hole. 

Later in the game Lapier broke down the right wing and send a cross ice pass onto the stick of Joshua Broad, but he was robbed as the Braves goaltender Tyson Zollinger stuck out his right pad.

Defenceman pairing of Dana Domanko and Emytt Fetterly and Nathen Verhey and Kieran Geurkink continued to improve their defensive play and were able to get some shots at the Braves netminder to create scoring chances for the Lions forwards. 

Brody Fairbairn and Duncan Hutt teamed up on one play to get Fairbairn open in the slot before he slid a shot pass the right leg and post. 

Nolan Henry was the defensive forward of the game as he continued his strong back checking while creating offensive chances.

The South Dundas “Pizza Hut” Atom B Rep Lions will face the Char-lan Rebels here on Thursday night at 7pm, as they look for their first points of the season. Come out and support your Lions!

[…]

 

The Morrisburg Junior B Lions are hanging tough with the big guys, but they continue to be plagued by a player shortage.

Saturday night, the Lions were on the road to Westport to take on the Rideau Division’s first place Rideaus and, after holding a 4-2 lead late in the second period, they ended up on the wrong side of a 6-4 count.

Although he expected to ice a full team Saturday night, such was not the case for a very discouraged coach Thom Racine.

“Lance Hodgson was hurt Friday night and couldn’t play, and we had a couple more who had exams on Tuesday, so they couldn’t play…which I don’t get.”

“For two periods we were in control of the game. We had a good talk after the second period, and then we started the third period and couldn’t get the puck out of our own end.”

To make matters worse, Racine says the Lions got on the wrong side of the referee when they complained about a missed call.

“One of our kids was cross checked from behind and when he retaliated he drew a penalty. We argued and got a bench minor.”

From then on Racine says, “I guess he decided we were acting like idiots.”

In the third period, the Lions drew  five minor penalties, a four minute spearing penalty, two game misconducts and a game ejection. The Rideaus drew two minors.

In addition, Racine learned the next day that two Lions were suspended (and will miss this Friday night’s game) for infractions during the game warm-up, one for a missing chin strap and the other a neck guard infraction.

Fortunately, the weekend wasn’t all bad news for the Lions.

Friday night on home ice, they posted a must-win 7-2 victory against the Akwesasne Wolves.

The Lions went up 1-0 late in the first period on a Michel Lefebvre goal from Sylvester Bzdyl.

But then in the second period, the Wolves came charging back with a pair and suddenly it was a whole new ball game.

“I called a time out when they went up 2-1.”

Racine says the Lions knew how important the game was for the Wolves, and they knew they were going to come out with every they had.

Following the talk, the Lions got their act together and finally Chris Rutley (from Zach Seguin and Ryan Dunbar) tied it with what Racine described as a “fluky goal.”

The icing on the cake came from Ryan Ward with the Lions short-handed in the last minute of the frame.

“On a two on one, Chris Rutley laid a beauty of a pass on Wardo’s (Ryan Ward) stick and he deflected it into the net.”

That put the Lions up 3-2 with two seconds left in the second period and clearly changed the Wolves’ momentum.

“They just didn’t respond in the third period.”

The Lions held the one goal advantage until the final 10 minutes of the third when they counted another four goals for the 7-2 win.

The goals were scored by Marc Antoine Kamel from Brayden Girard, Alex Steingruber from Sylvester Bzdyl, Clarke Veenstra from Chris Rutley and Michael Paquette and Bzdyl from Steingruber and Michael Keenan.

The Lions sat out six minor penalties and were assessed a 10 minute misconduct. The Wolves drew four minor penalties.

Saturday night in Westport, the game was tied 1-1 after one period with Ryan Ward (from Lefebvre and Sam Hodgson) providing the Lions’ first goal.

The Rideaus went up 2-1, just 40 seconds into the second period but 12 seconds later Bzdyl (from Ward and Lefebvre) answered to keep it even.

Then a pair of power-play goals allowed the Lions to go ahead, 4-2.

Lefebvre started it (from Ward and Bzdyl) and Bzdyl made it 4-2 with the assist going to goaltender Mikael Dion.

The Rideaus cut the Lions advantage to one in the last minute of the second period.

Then just over a minute into the third, Dustin Sinclair scored while the Rideaus were shorthanded to tie the game 4-4

They collected the winning goal  at 4:21, and the insurance market at 15:44. Both goals were scored on the Rideaus power play.

Mikael Dion was in net for both of the Lions weekend games. According to the stats he faced 57 Rideaus shots, while the Lions managed just 26 against opposing goaltender James Davis.

“Mikael played really well. He just didn’t get any support in the end,” said Racine.

The split in their weekend games prevented the Lions from making any headway against the fourth-place CharLan Rebels.

The Rebels also split their games, losing to Casselman, 15-4 and defeating Gananoque, 4-3.

Coming up this Friday night, December 23, the Gananoque Islanders are in town for an 8:30 p.m. game.

The Lions are scheduled to play a make up game in Prescott on Tuesday night, December 27.

Their next home game is not until Friday, January 6 against the Char-Lan Rebels.

On Saturday, January 7 they will open the 2012 Rideau-St. Lawrence Showcase Event with a 9:30 a.m. game against South Grenville. The Winchester Hawks are hosting this year’s showcase. 

[…]

With Josh Martineau between the pipes, the South Dundas Major Midget B Rep Lions picked up their 10th win of the regular season over South Stormont, 6-1, here last Thursday night, December 5.

The Lions are now holding top spot in the Upper Canada Minor Hockey League’s East Division with 23 points, six points up on South Grenville and Cornwall who are tied with 17 points apiece.

Last Thursday night in Morrisburg, Cameron Michels and Tanner Hummel struck to give the Lions a 2-0 first period lead.

Aaron Smith and Drew Minish provided the assists on the Michels goal while Drew Minish and Michels helped out on the Hummel counter.

Nash Nesbitt made it 3-0 in the second period with Minish and Riley Black providing the assists.

Early in the third period, Jordan St. Louis pushed the Lions advantage to 4-0 with goaltender Martineau credited with the assist.

South Stormont spoiled Martineau’s shut out on a play that started with a shot from the point. The shot was deflected off a player in front of the net and on to the stick of an unguarded Stormont man at the far corner who buried it past Martineau.

The final Lions goal was scored by Josh Black from Minish and Toby Mullin for the 6-1 Lions win.

Next action for the Lions is this Thursday night, December 12 in Morrisburg at 8 p.m.

Correction: In a story that appeared in the December 4 issue of the Leader, it was incorrectly reported that a goal was scored against Brockville as the result of a great pinch and deke by Jordan Smail. The great play was in fact made by Jordan St. Louis.

[…]