Another stormy week for New Blue

After a crushing opening game, 4-1 loss to the Perth/Lanark Wings, the South Dundas Bantam Rep Lions regrouped and battled their way back into contention with three consecutive wins for the UCMHL 2011/12 playoff championship.

Monday night, in game four of the five point series played in Lanark, they locked it up with a  6-2 victory to take the series six points to two.

The series opened in Morrisburg last Wednesday, March 21 with a tough 4-1 loss to the visiting wings.

Perth had just come off a big win to defeat Smith Falls on Monday, March 19, to advance to the league championship against the Lions, and they carried their momentum forward to the waiting Lions.

The lone goal in the series openere for the Lions came from the stick of Aaron Smith assisted by Randy Fawcett and Quinn Bennis in the first period.

Game two was played in Lanark on Friday night, March 23rd, and despite a slow start the Lions were able to put it together for a 5-2 victory.

The first period saw the Wings take a 1-0 lead on a rebound goal by Alex Echlin.

Then just six minutes into the second period the Lions were able to even it with a short-handed goal by Randy Fawcett, assisted by Andrew Jarvis.

One minute later, Jarvis struck, unassisted to put the Lions up 2-1.

The Lions lead held until the dying minutes of the frame when Quinn Bennis scored on the Lions power play with help from Randy Fawcett and Spencer Heldens to give the Lions a 3-1 edge heading into the third period.

In the third period, the Black boys combined for the Lions fourth goal when Josh Black  set it up for Riley Black who beat Micheal Saumur on the gloveside.

The Wings closed the gap to 4-2 one minute later when Noah Greer slipped one past Lions goaltender Zach Frawley.

The Lions ended it when Ben Michels picked up a Riley Barry rebound for the 5-2 victory.

With the five point series even at two point apiece, it was back to Morrisburg for a Saturday afternoon game, in front of a huge hometown crowd that saw the Lions claim a 3-1 win.

Six minutes into the first period, Andrew Jarvis scored unassisted on the Lions power play.

The Lions lead, however didn’t last, as before the period ended Tyler Murphy collected his own rebound to beat Frawley and even it at 1-1.

It took the Lions until late in the second period to get ahead, once again with Jarvis scoring on their power play with help from Evan Mullin.

Frawley was solid in the Lions net as the Lions worked to hold on to their one-goal advantage.

With 4:08 left on the clock Mullin counted with help from Riley Black and Randy Fawcett for the Lions third goal.

The Lions win in game three sent the series back to Lanark this past Monday night with a four points to two advantage. 

Details of the 6-2 win that gave them the championship were not available at press time.

[…]

The South Dundas Senior Pioneers claimed the Upper Canada Senior Little League championship on Saturday, August 9, in Kemptville with an exciting 7-6 win over Brockville in the final.

“It was nip and tuck the whole game,” says coach Ernie Beckstead. “It was a really, good game of ball.”

After finishing the regular season in second place, the Pioneers met Kemptville in semi-final playoff action in Kemptville and came up with a decisive 14-3 victory. That put them in the Saturday final against Brockville.

“We had them 4-2 then 5-2,” says Beckstead, “but they came back and made it 5-4.”

Beckstead had used his pitching options strategically which enabled him to keep his top producing pitcher of the season, Spencer Heldens, for the final inning.

The Pioneers went into the top of the seventh with the objective to hold on to their 7-6 lead. It was tense and it was exciting, says Beckstead.

“I pulled Spencer [Heldens] aside before we started the inning and told him it was in his hands.”

“We actually started the inning shaky on a routine grounder to third. Smithy [Aaron] took a little too much time getting rid of the ball and ended up throwing high. That put a runner on base with none out.”

“The next batter hit one up the middle and Cole [Beckstead] made an unbelievable play on his forehand. He tossed it up to second, and Adam [Lapier] made a nice catch reaching for the ball while managing to keep his foot on the bag. That gave us one out with a runner still on first base.”

Heldens struck out the next batter, and the final out was on a grounder to second with Lapier throwing out the runner at first.

 “We had a really good team and the boys improved a lot of the summer. I had excellent pitching and an all-star infield. Unfortunately the weather was awful. We missed a lot of games because of rain.”

The Pioneers pitching staff included junior pitchers Lucas Bennis and Adam Lapier. Spencer Heldens was the main senior pitcher with Aaron Smith, Cole Beckstead and Quinn Bennis all seeing some time on the mound.

Quinn Bennis was catcher, Josh Black was at first, Adam Lapier and Jonah Bennis alternated at second, Aaron Smith played third and Cole Beckstead was at shortstop. Outfielders included Johnny Testerink, Isaac Cummins, Johnathon Mayhew and Mathew Backes, who says Beckstead “was the best number eight hitter in the league.”

In the dugout with Beckstead was assistant coach Jamie Smith and working hard for the team at the championship weekend was Jordan Lowe.

The senior little league ball age runs from 14-16 years old. The Pioneers had a good mix of ages and will only lose two players for next year, Spencer Heldens and  Josh Black.

“I’ve coached these kids a lot growing up, and they have really improved. They are now young men, and I could see this year that what I’ve taught them they have carried with them.”

The Pioneers are made up of players from South Dundas and should be strong again next year. Their interest and dedication bodes well for the future of ball.

[…]

CORNWALL & DISTRICT–Plans for local 55 plus winter games are under way, as the district prepares to send a team to the Ontario 55 plus Winter Games in Huntsville, February 26-28.

The local games will kick off with prediction skating, scheduled for Monday, November 12 and Friday, November 16 at the Benson Centre in Cornwall. Convener is Robert Peladeau (613-931-1641).

Glengarry Curling Club in Maxville will host a qualifying mixed bonspiel. The Stuart McKay rink from that club is the Ontario 55 plus Winter Games champions from 2011 in Haliburton. 

Dates are being finalized and information will be sent soon to local curling clubs.

Other qualifying events which will take place in the next couple of months are duplicate bridge and hockey, which has two age divisions (55 – 64 and 65+).

Alpine skiing and nordic skiing held their qualifying events in February 2012.  District 8’s Nordic Ski team won the Ontario team award in 2011 so will be defending that title in Huntsville.

Any 55 plus seniors wanting more information may contact the District Winter Games coordinators: Stanley Fraser (613-525-3777) or Monique Patenaude (613-543-3453).

[…]