Bears over Novice Cs

As March break comes and goes I’m sure you’ve been dreaming of swimsuits and tropical beaches and really, they’re not so far in the future.  The days may be getting longer and the temperature may be skyrocketing but in the rink winter isn’t over yet.  

With our annual year-end carnival just around the corner MDSC skaters are working as hard as ever to bring you a show you’ll never forget.  With performances from everyone from our little future Olympians to our dedicated star-skaters it’s sure to be a night of enjoyment.  

If interested you can find tickets at the door, Friday March 29, or you can purchase them ahead through any of our skating club members.  The canteen will be open and seating is available in both the heated lobby and stands.

Just because the year is coming to a close doesn’t mean the competitive season is finished.  Competitions include the much anticipated all Ontario championships, which Ali Vanhoof competed in this past weekend of March 24th in Fort Erie. We all had our fingers crossed for great results from Ali. And we’re not finished yet, Morrisburg is proud to say we have many Starskaters travelling to Ottawa for the annual Gloucester Spring Fest.  We wish everybody luck in their events and hope they can end their season with a bang!

 Just as the carnival is a MDSC ritual our annual banquet is a yearly tradition that we aren’t planning to break.  This year the awards ceremony will take place the evening of April 7th at the Morrisburg Legion.  Tickets can be purchased at the skating office and will include a dinner with dessert and an evening of awards and memories.  

A new tradition for our club began last year with the Ice Cream party for our Canskaters. It continued this year at the MacIntosh Inn and was a large success. Each of our skaters was treated to a homemade sundae and a medal of accomplishment.  Way to go Canskaters!  In addition, we would like to remind all of our Canskate parents and skaters that they to can attend the banquet.

Speaking of new traditions, many may remember the Fun Fair from last year.  Families could come and enjoy a day of games, bouncy castles and petting zoos all while supporting our club. It was such a success we are hosting another one this year. Watch for further details this spring.  

As you can see, the skating season may be winding down but this last month will be the busiest of all!  So, remember, skate great, and have fun!

[…]

As the end draws near, the Morrisburg Junior B Lions picked up another pair of losses in Eastern Ontario Junior Hockey League action, a close one to the Winchester Hawks, 5-4 and a 5-2 loss to the Alexandria Glens.

Friday night, the Lions were in Winchester where they put up a solid effort against the division’s fourth place Hawks. Up against their former longtime goaltender Mikael Dion they collected a single goal in the second period to cut the Hawks advantage to 2-1, and then traded goals evenly in the third as they collected the 5-4 loss.

Josh Stubbings put the Hawks on the scoreboard late in the first period, and at 14:15 of the second they went up 2-0 on a Christopher Rossi tally.

Grant Cooper got one back for the Lions with help from Steven Savage and Eric Evans just 1:57 before the end of the second period. 

Then in the third period it was back and forth, with the Lions able to stay close but never able to take control.

Brandon Pantaleo and Cam Hughes counted for the Hawks as they fought to maintain a two goal lead, while Drew Veenstra (from Evans and Taylor Eamon) and Savage (from Evans and Eamon) answered for the Lions.

The Savage goal put the game back in reach for the Lions making the score, 4-3, with 7:55 left in the game.

Forty-seven seconds later, however, the Hawks fired back on their power play, when Adam Beveridge collected an empty net goal to again go up by two (5-3).

The Lions did manage one more from Taylor Eamon (assisted by Grant Cooper and Michael Paquette) with 15 seconds left on the clock.

The game saw only six minor penalties assessed, three to each team. The Lions were out shot, 46-31.

Sunday afternoon, the Alexandria Glens paid their final visit to Morrisburg this season and skated away with a 5-2 victory.

They led 2-0 after the first period and increased it to 3-0 just over a minute into the second.

The Lions came to life later in the period when a pair of Glens. penalties gave them power-play opportunities.

Eric Evans wielded the stick for both goals, the first at 8:23 with help from Steven Savage and Martin Lavallee, and the second at 18:03 from Savage and Taylor Eamon.

That cut the Glens advantage to 3-2 and made it a brand new game as the two skated into the final frame.

Just over five minutes in, the Glens went up 4-2 and they crushed the young Lions five seconds later with another goal that put them up 5-2.

Ryan Cooper was in net for both weekend games for the Lions. The Glens out shot the Lions, Sunday, 47-29. Both teams had seven power-play opportunities. The Lions scored twice, and the Glens converted one.

The Lions with just six wins in 38 games have four games left in the season.

They travel to Casselman to take on the first place Vikings this Thursday, January 31, and on Saturday night, February 2 they are on the road to play the St. Lawrence Division’s second place Rebels.

Their final weekend of action sees them in a home and home series against Akwesasne on Friday, February 8 (in Morrisburg) and Saturday, February 9 (on Cornwall Island).

The Wolves are currently holding the division’s third place, two points up on the Hawks. Both teams will be playing tough for the next two weeks as they battle for the division’s third place spot to avoid tackling the powerful Vikings in the first playoff round.

[…]

The Morrisburg Junior B Lions continued their downward skid in St. Lawrence Division Junior Hockey action this past weekend with another three losses which brings their losing streak to seven games. Their last win was on home ice on September 30, when they dropped the Alexandria Glens, 6-0.

This past week, the Lions kicked it off Wednesday night in Brockville with a 6-4 loss to the Tikis. Then on Friday night, on home ice, they lost 5-1 to the Athens Aeros and that was followed by an 8-7 loss to the Winchester Hawks in Morrisburg, on Sunday afternoon.

“We have had hard luck scoring goals,” says Lions team manager Kevin Casselman. “The chances have been there, we have just not been finishing our offensive chances.”

Casselman also explained that the Lions have been running with a short bench due to mid term university exams. This happens every year at this time and this year affects three Lions players.

With basically the same schedule in place from one year to the next, it would appear time the Lions asked to have the schedule examined.

The team annually runs into this three game week (with the midweek game in Brockville) when players are unable to play due to their exams.

Although the Lions have lost their last seven games, Casselman says management does not feel it is due to lack of effort. “Some short lapses with attention to detail have resulted in scoring opportunities for our opposition,” he explains. “For the most part these lapses are not from the efforts being given. We must also consider that we are still a young club, and we will continue to work on all aspects in practice.”

“Yesterday’s game was an offensive game for sure,” he says of the 8-7 loss to the Winchester Hawks on Sunday. “It was one of those games where you wanted to have last possession.”

The Hawks took a 3-1 first period lead in the game, but the Lions battled back to win the second period 3-2 .

By 15:33 of the second they had the game tied 4-4 but the Hawks got one more back to carry a 5-4 advantage into the third.

The two played even in the third, each potting three goals, which gave the Hawks the 8-7 win.

Michele Lefebvre had a big three goal effort for the Lions, while Chris Rutley, Sylvester Bzdyl, Curtis Pilon and Grant Cooper added singles.

Mathew White struck three times for the Hawks, Kevin Vinyard scored a pair and singles were added by Kyle Richardson, Brandon Belding and Jamie Olivier.

Mikael Dion was in net for the Lions for 56:34. With just over three minutes left in the game an altercation between Dion and the Hawks, Brandon Belding resulted  in five minute fighting majors and match penalties to both. The two will serve three game suspensions.

According to Casselman, “Mikael took offence to what he felt was interference through his crease. Earlier in the game the altercation between Dillon Lapier, was also a result of this.”

On a positive note, Casselman pointed out that when the Lions got down Sunday, “the players did not quit. They bought back for each other and only good things can come from the effort given.”

A solid first period effort in Brockville on Wednesday night, resulted in a 2-0 Lions lead. However the Tikis recovered in the second and came back for four consecutive goals as they headed for the 6-4 win.

Sylvester Bzdyl had two goals for the Lions, while Zach Sequin and Michel Lefebvre added singles.

The Tikis were assessed 10 minor penalties and two 10 minute misconducts while the Lions sat out nine minors and one misconduct. The Tikis Cody Waite scored the lone power-play goal of the game against Lions goaltender Mikael Dion early in the second period.

The Lions were flat in Friday night’s game in Morrisburg against the visiting Athens Aeros. The Aeros put together two unanswered goals against Dion in the first period and another three in the second on their way to the 5-1 win.

Michel Lefebvre scored from Dylan Casselman and Chaffee on the Lions power play to spoil Dallas Slack’s shutout midway into the third period.

Each of the teams sat out three minor penalties and a pair of checking to the head misconducts.

Joining the Lions lineup is Dylan Dejong, a graduate of the local South Dundas Minor Hockey system.

Also seeing ice time are affiliated players–Peter Ketcheson of Greely who plays for Eastern Ontario Wild “AAA” Major Midgets; Brian Landry from the Cornwall Major Midget Colts and Isaac Brownlee from the South Stormont Major Midgets. 

Coming up this weekend, the Lions have just one game on Sunday afternoon when the Alexandria Glens come to town for a 2:30 p.m. start.

[…]