Morrisburg Junior B Lions on rocky road

 

The Morrisburg Junior B Lions are on a downhill skid as they head into the final games of the season on a five game losing streak

With six games remaining on the regular season schedule and another two makeup games, the Lions failed to get back on the right track on the weekend with back-to-back losses.

It started on home ice Friday night, with a tough 4-3 loss to the Akwesasne Wolves and then went downhill from there in Gananoque, Sunday with a crushing 10-4 loss to the Rideau Division’s second place Islanders.

What is up for grabs in the two tier St. Lawrence Division is the fourth and final playoff spot, currently held by the Char-Lan Rebels. 

In the top tier you have Winchester in first place with 61 points, Casselman in second with 56 and Alexandria in third with 45.

In the second tier you have the Rebels with 26 points, the Lions with 23 and the Wolves with 19. 

The Lions have now lost their last five consecutive games and have had two games cancelled due to weather (against Casselman and Char-Lan). The up and coming Wolves on the other hand have split their last eight games with four wins and four losses, and two of those wins were against the Lions.

The Wolves knew what they had to do Friday night to stay in the running for a playoff spot and they did it.

Keith Sloan opened their scoring early in the first period.

The game was tied 1-1 after the first period and the Lions went up 2-1 in the second.

A power-play goal from the stick of Dillon Barr just over three minutes into the third period, sparked the Wolves and at 7:33 Keith Sloan gave them a 3-2 lead. Then at 15:32 Amo Connor stretched it to 4-2.

The Lions came back strong, but managed only one more from Michel Lefebvre, from Sylvester Bzdyl and Alex Ploof, in the 4-3 Wolves win.

Clarke Veenstra scored the Lions first period goal with help from Chris Rutley and Ryan Ward. Early in the second period Zach Sequin, from Lance Hodgson, gave the Lions the 2-1 advantage.

Sunday night in Gananoque, the Lions were not in the game. The Islanders went up 3-0 in the first five minutes of the first period and never looked back as they skated to the 10-4 win.

They led 5-1 after the first period and 9-2 after two.

Providing the four Lions goals were Alex Ploof, Joel Marleau, Sylvester Bzdyl and Chris Rutley.

Ryan Cooper was between the Lions pipes for both weekend pipes while Michel Dion sits out a three game suspension.

The third game was Sunday night in Gananoque and Dion will be back in action this weekend.

Coming up this weekend, the Lions travel to Winchester, Friday night, January 27 for an 8:15 p.m. match. Sunday, January 29 they are at home to Alexandria for a 2:30 p.m. game.

The Lions have rescheduled one of their two cancelled games. The Char-Lan cancellation has been d for Tuesday, January 31st in Williamstown.

Still to be rescheduled is the Lions home game against Casselman.

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