STARskate championship a great experience for Ali VanHoof

Three senior men’s teams travelled to Cornwall last Wednesday for their last friendly bonspiel of the season. 

Unfortunately, our Cornwall hosts were not as friendly as they might have been on the ice. Refreshments before the game were great, (love that syrup for the coffee) and the lunch was superb, but our fellows had trouble getting the points they needed during their matches.

For the record, Martin Schneckenburger, Sam Locke, Bud Perry and Larry Ware, Al Harriman, Ron Beaupre, Keith Robinson and Eric Johnson, as well as Wally McDonald, Rick MacKenzie, Fred “Boomer” Langlotz and Earl Jeacle were able to claim free drinks from their opposite numbers in their games. 

It was a very pleasant day, however, ending with heart-felt good wishes, and the usual humorous anecdotes prior to the drive west. We look forward to more of these friendly matches next season.

There were also three senior mixed teams in Kemptville on Friday. This was a 222 bonspiel, with Mahlon Locke, Kathy Norg, and Sam and Claire Locke being our top team. They lost their first match against North Grenville, had a very good lunch, and then went out in the afternoon to triumph over one of the Navan foursomes.

Wally McDonald, Ruth Kelly, “Boomer” Langlotz and Joanne Baker tied their first match against Lynne Stacey’s Navan team but dropped their afternoon game against Richmond. 

The ice was problematic for all, but a couple of the rocks were “cutters” (I’ve been watching curling on television and heard about TSN’s “secret word”) and this threw off our athletes. I’m told that in one game, nobody on either team got a rock over the hog line in an early end. We really love what our ice technician has done for our curling.

Our final team, Keith Robinson, Alice Thompson, Rick MacKenzie and Sandra Beckstead, dropped tight matches to old friends from Manotick, the Froats team, and also lost to Lynne Stacey from Navan. Lynn finished third on the day behind Alexandria. 

All in all, it was a good day for our teams, with sunshine outside, pleasant hospitality inside, and modest prizes for all.

By the way, the final two-person bonspiel last Sunday featured Wally McDonald in the ‘A’ final rather than Wally Baker. Sorry for the error, fellows.

As to our little rockers, they had their windup night last week, and have come a long way this year, finishing in the middle of the pack in their zone playdowns with Ottawa, Cornwall and Perth. They also did extremely well in their first play down experience. Next season they’ll be a year older, and we look forward to great curling for them.

There are still a few openings for the early draw in our closing bonspiel on April 6, and for those not curling but wanting to come for the closing banquet around 6 p.m., don’t forget to sign up on the sheet in the lounge. 

We’ll have a summary of the year’s events, and a final look at what to expect at our club over the summer. The club championship will be competed for after the closing banquet, and we’ll look forward to events in the fall.

Good curling to all!

[…]

The Morrisburg Junior B Lions played their first regular season game on home ice, Sunday, for a start that coach Thom Racine says was disappointing.

After falling behind the visiting Winchester Hawks early on, the Lions managed to pull out of the first period behind by just two goals (4-2).

They got it together in the second period, with back-to-back counters early on to even it, but that was it.

The Hawks added two goals in the second and another three in the third to claim a 9-4 win.

“We really responded in the second period and tied it up, but then we forgot who we were playing,” said coach Racine. “You can’t give the puck away and make mental errors against the best team in the league.”

“In the third period we were skating with them, but then we had one of those kind of errors I am trying to cut down on.”

“Winchester is a good team. They are physical and don’t get me wrong, they played very well. They are a veteran team and they know how to intimidate.”

The Hawks went up 4-2 in the first period on goals by Evan Walker, Graham Loyst, Paul Bernard-Corbeil and Josh Stubbings.

The Lions answered with goals by Ryan Ward (unassisted) and Alex Steingruber (on the power play from Clarke Veenstra and Francis Roberge).

Rookie Lion, Ryan Dunbar got it rolling in the second period with the first junior B goal of his career from Marc Antoine Kamel and Brayden Girard.

According to Racine, the goal and resulting celebration didn’t sit well with Hawks’ defenceman Paul Bernard-Corbeil whose blow to Dunbar resulted in a match penalty.

“Ryan left the game, but he came back.”

The Lions also took advantage of the five minute penalty with Steingruber scoring on the power play from Ryan Ward and Clarke Veenstra to tie the game 4-4.

That however, was it for the Lions. The Hawks got two more from Stubbings and Loyst (short-handed) to end the second period in the lead 6-4.

Stubbings, Brock Burge and Evan Walker made it a 9-4 Hawks win.

Mikael Dion started in net for the Lions and after 7:30 was relieved by Ryan Cooper.

“We didn’t get the goaltending and Mikael knew it,” said Racine. “He was fine with being yanked. Ryan did a good job going in, in relief. For his first taste of Junior B action, I thought he was good.”

Unfortunately, Racine says he may have lost Steingruber for a couple of weeks with an injury. “It’s a huge loss if we lose him for any length of time. He’s a great player.”

Racine says the loss on their home ice was tough for the Lions, but “I expect them to learn from their mistakes. It was a quiet dressing room after the game, and I let them wallow in it for a couple of minutes. They were disappointed.”

This week the Lions are preparing to take on the Char-Lan Rebels in Morrisburg, Friday night (September 30) at 8:30 p.m. Sunday, they are on the road to Alexandria to take on the Glens at 2:30 p.m.

[…]

With their third place finish in the Upper Canada Minor Hockey League East Division’s regular season,  the South Dundas “Pizza Hut” Novice B Lions start playoff action this week against their county rival North Dundas Demons. 

The Lions drew the eighth place Demons in an opening round best two out of three.

The Lions come into the playoffs losing back to back games for the first time since October as the East Division Brockville #2 Braves downed the Lions 2-1 and the Demons nipped them 4-3 last week in their regular season finale. 

The Lions jumped out to an early lead on the Demons when Ben Lapier took the opening faceoff down the ice and scored on a backhand shot into the bottom of the net. 

Later in the first Lapier struck again to give the Lions a 2-0 lead with help from Kolby Latulippe and Nolan Henry.

Joshua Broad sent Kayne McCadden away on a breakaway as the Lions looked for the three goal lead but McCadden’s shot rang off the cross bar out of play.

The Demons got on the board early in the second on a power-play goal by Heuff assisted by Adam Barkley. They tied the game with 13 seconds left in the second on a goal by Bowman assisted by Heuff.

The Demons struck again early in the third to grab their first lead of the game before Kolby Latulippe tied it 3-3. 

The Lions battled for the go ahead goal but gave up the game winning goal with two minutes which secured the 4-3 Demons’ victory.

In their other action, the Brockville Braves came to town and jumped on the Lions early. 

Braves forward Rhys Gibbons scored his 100th goal of the season as he scored on back to back shifts giving the Braves an early 2-0 lead.

Ben Lapier cut the lead to one when he bounced a shot off the goalie and into the net early in the second period. Cassidy Bilmer and Kayne McCadden picked up assists on the play. 

The Lions pressured the Braves but did not get the equalizer. 

Even with goaltender Brendan Shaver on the bench for an extra attacker, the Lions couldn’t muster a last minute shot in  an attempt to tie the game.

The South Dundas “Pizza Hut” Novice B Lions were in playoff action Monday night in Chesterville for Game #1 and Tuesday night in Morrisburg for Game #2. 

If necessary Game #3 will be in Morrisburg on Tuesday, February 21st at 7 p.m.

[…]