Lee Beaupre in the driver’s seat

The ladies took over the Morrisburg Curling Club last Tuesday for the annual Women’s Invitational Bonspiel. The early draw saw the Russell squad, led by Sharon Courneyea, victorious, with Candy Alexander’s Prescott foursome second. In the late draw Alexandria, skipped by Andrea Lauzon, took both of their games, to win out by a single point over a Morrisburg team, who filled in on short notice. Greta McGann, Betty Locke, Sonja and  Rosemary Laurin, played well and won both matches, against Lancaster and Cornwall. 

The winners will have their names inscribed on the champions’ plaque.

Organizer Alice Thompson thanked the many volunteers who helped make the day a success, as well as the ladies who provided a delicious lunch. 

The club and the bonspiel earned appreciative words from the curlers, who hope to be invited to next year’s bonspiel. Special thanks to Wally Baker, who made sure the ice was at its best for the visitors.

Sid Morrell, Raymond Benoit, Jack Barkley and Bill Magee were in Metcalfe for a senior men’s bonspiel. They lost their first match to a very strong team from Rideau, but won their second against a Metcalfe foursome.

A senior mixed team travelled to Carleton Place for a 2-2-2 bonspiel on Thursday. Jack Barkley, Ruth Kelly, Fred “Boomer” Langlotz and Sharon Van Allen had a good day. They defeated Smiths Falls in the morning, but lost a tight match in the afternoon to Arnprior, who finished second overall, just behind the champs from Renfrew. In spite of the long drive, they enjoyed the outing, and finished third overall in the bonspiel.

Friday saw three Cornwall teams were in town, to pay a return visit to the senior men at our club.

 Our first squad consisted of Neil Williams, Raymond Benoit, Wayne Pulford and Jim Millard/Bud Perry. The second was Don O’Brien, Martin Schneckenburger, Eric Johnson and Ken Wilson.  Third were Sid Morrell, Peter Zeran, Earl Jeacle and Al Gowanlock. 

Halfway though the match the local fellows moved one sheet to the right to take on a fresh challenge from a new Cornwall foursome. Meanwhile, the kitchen and the lounge were humming with activity as a fine luncheon was being prepared. 

When the dust settled, the local fellows were victorious on sheets B and C, while the visitors prevailed on sheet A. Another busy day for the club.

    Saturday, Mahlon Locke and his committee ran our friendly bonspiel, while Greta McGann and her committee prepared a fine lunch. Ten teams took part, playing two games each. While the matches were friendly, the competition was keen. 

Sid Morrell, Betty Locke and Len Bellamy won the day with 18.5 points, while Wally McDonald, Raymond Benoit and Greta McGann finished second with 18 and Susan McIntosh, Carolyn Beckstead and Claire and Paula Locke finished third, a point behind. 

Representatives from most of the leagues competed, and $500 was raised towards a new carpet. Thanks, Mahlon, Greta, and all of the others who made this happen.

It’s the season for parties, with the Thursday morning folks having a catered lunch from Subway again. Still a few openings there. Many of the other leagues are also arranging for various wind-up events before Christmas. Curling really wears on you, doesn’t it? 

Arrangements are being made for a New Year’s Eve bonspiel and party. There’s a sign-up sheet at the club. Should be fun! Good curling to all.

[…]

The Morrisburg Junior B Lions found out on Sunday, what other teams have known for some time…just how tough it is to score on goaltender Mikael Dion.

Dion, who has guarded the Lions crease for three years, found himself facing some familiar faces Sunday, as he performed his magic in the familiar Morrisburg arena, but this time in the Hawks net.

The recent release of Dion, who was signed to a Lions overage player card, to the Hawks was “due to our position in the standings,” explained team manager, Kevin Casselman. “We made the decision to provide Mikael an opportunity to play in the playoffs in his final season of junior hockey.”

“Mikael will provide Winchester with a solid goaltender for what they hope is a deep play-off run.”

In addition, Casselman says the move has allowed the Lions to give more ice time to their young up and coming goalie Ryan Cooper.

“We have been happy to have local Major AAA Midget John Gilmer play in three games,” says Casselman. “Joey Lamarche and Zach Frawley will provide us with support over the next nine games.”

Sunday, the Lions held their own against the visiting Hawks…all the way to the final 13 minutes of the third period.

It started at 12:39 of the third. It was just seconds after the Lions had killed off a penalty, when the Hawks Cody Levasseur broke it wide open. It was then that Levasseur counted his first of two goals that broke a 1-1 tie and gave the Hawks the edge. 

Sixteen seconds later, Levasseur again beat Lions goaltender Ryan Cooper, and the Hawks found themselves in the driver’s seat with a 3-1 lead.

Penalties then came into play, mainly Lions penalties as first Sylvester Bzdyl was called for high sticking at 13:03. He was then joined in the penalty box at 14:19 by Zach Renfrew who was penalized for handling the puck.

That set the stage for a Hawks five on three and an Aaron Dickenson power-play goal at 14:56.

Now up 4-1, the Hawks coasted to a 5-1 lead, Josh Renaud adding their final counter, again on their power play.

Zach Renfrew scored the final Lions goal with 10 seconds left in the game with help from Chris Rutley and Curtis Pilon.

The Lions were first on the scoreboard in the game with a Chris Rutley (from Grant Coooper) power-play goal late in the first period.

The Hawks Christopher Rossi evened it just over three minutes into the second period, and the tie held until Levasseur took over in the third period.

The Hawks out shot the Lions 44-30 and were successful on two of seven power-play opportunities. The Lions counted once in their three power-play chances against their former teammate, goalie Mikael Dion.

While the Lions were in it all the way in Sunday’s encounter, it was a different story at their Rideau-St. Lawrence Conference Showcase game against the Westport Rideaus in Gananoque, on Saturday morning.

“We did not show up to play against a very good top level, experience hockey club,” said Casselman of the 11-2 loss to the Westport Rideaus.

 “Not only were they running on all cylinders, they are also in a battle for first place in their division.”

The Rideaus went up 4-0 in the first period and stretched it to 8-0 after two.

Sylvester Bzdyl scored the two Lions goals in the last couple of minutes of the third period. Assists went to Michael Paquette and Taylor Eamon.

Coming up this weekend, the Lions are at home to the Char-Lan Rebels on Friday, January 11. Game time is 8:30 p.m.

The Rebels are back in second place in the St. Lawrence Division standings with 37 points. The Casselman Vikings are in first place with 46 points, and the Hawks and the Akwesasne Wolves are tied for third place with 32 points each.

The Alexandria Glens remain in the hunt for the fourth and final playoff position with 26 points, while the Lions are well back with just 13 points.

[…]

The season ended for the Morrisburg Junior (B) Lions on Sunday, but the game is still on as team management now battles to remain as a team in a soon-to-be reorganized Eastern Ontario Junior Hockey League (EOJHL).

The reorganization being considered will result in the EOJHL going from its current 22 teams that play in two conferences, Metro/Valley and Rideau-St.Lawrence, to 16 teams. 

This means that six teams are on the chopping block, and the Morrisburg Lions organization is working hard to make sure they aren’t one of them.

The Lions organization is owned by Kevin Casselman, Dale Lewis, Rick Gilmer and Gary Brownlee.

Casselman told players and parents, gathered for the Lions year-end banquet Sunday night (February 15) that the future of the team is uncertain.

On behalf of the Lions owners, he explained the initiative to disband the current two conferences began last June, and involved the reformation of an Eastern Ontario Junior Hockey League with fewer teams.

“What we don’t know is where we stand. We do know that we are proud, we are committed and we’ve put the money up and agreed to the terms. As an organization we are on the bubble of not being accepted into the new league.”

“We hope we will be successful,” said Casselman. “We know who we are, but unfortunately our future is in other people’s hands and it’s not a good position to be in.”

Casselman has told The Leader that the league’s apparent intent is to go to two, eight-team conferences. “They haven’t given us the criteria that will be used to choose the teams.”

“We’ve made our presentation. Our community is good and our finances are good. But if they are basing the criteria on wins and losses then we are not in a good position,”  he says of the Lions poor showings in the last several seasons.

According to a recent article in the Perth Courier with Blue Wings owner Michael McLean, the new CCHL Tier 11 League would be comprised of an east and west division with eight teams in each.

The Eastern Ontario Junior Hockey League has been around since the 1950s. It began as the St. Lawrence Jr. B Hockey League which historically ran with eight plus teams (Prescott, Cardinal, Morrisburg, Winchester, Metcalfe, Long Sault, Cornwall, Spencerville and Maxville).  Play was for the regular season Winchester Press Challenge trophy and the Gill Cup playoff championship, that cup emblematic of Junior Hockey as early as the 1940s.

In addition to the number of teams and the two division realignment, the new proposal has visited the possibility of team affiliations with upper level Junior A clubs and player drafts for better player distribution for all member clubs.

The question yet to be answered is who those members clubs are going to be.

[…]