Junior Lions finish off year with a win

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.

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The South Dundas “Pioneer Gas” Novice B Lions started their regular season on the road last week with a tie (3-3) in Kemptville and a win in Westport (6-2). Kayne McCadden led the offense by netting five goals in the two games.

Saturday afternoon, the Lions rolled into Westport, where they defeated the North Leeds Stars 6-2. 

With the game tied 2-2 late in the second period, Joshua Broad picked up a Ben Lapier rebound and fired it home for his first goal of the season and a 3-2 Lions lead which they would not relinquish.

In the third period, Broad, standing behind his own goalie, knocked down a North Leeds shot that had beat Lions goalie Brendan Shaver and was going in the net. Broad then made an outlet pass to Owen Fetterly who went the distance to score the Lions forth goal. 

Broad followed that effort when he used his Howitzer Hockey Stick to pick up his second goal of the game for a 5-2 Lions lead. 

Capping off the Lions scoring was Nolan Henry who received a pass from Emytt Fetterly and broke in and beat Stars goalie Westwader. Cassidy Bilmer also picked up an assist on the play.

Spencer Barclay and Trent Rae continued their strong play on the Lions blue line as they turned away several Stars attackers. Defensemen Emytt Fetterly and his partner Cassidy Bilmer, who both picked up an assists in the game, also had a strong game keeping the puck alive at the offensive blue line and chasing down Stars attackers.

The Lions had grabbed a first period lead on two goals by Kayne McCadden. 

McCadden continued his strong play to start the season as he picked up pucks in his own end and would go “coast to coast” beating the Stars defenders before beating the Stars goaltender.  

The Stars tied the game with two goals from Matthew Taite in a two minute span, late in the first period and early in the second.

Lions goalie Brendan Shaver had a quiet game in the Lions’ cage.

In Kemptville last Wednesday night, McCadden netted the Lions second hat trick of the year in a 3-3 tie. 

With the Lions leading 3-2, and under two minutes left to play, the forward line of Joshua Broad, Ben Lapier and Owen Fetterly were on the ice to protect the lead. 

They carried the play in the offensive zone for over a minute with several shots on net and hard pressure down low until the puck squirted out over the blue line and the Panthers converted on a goal by Noah Penney with 19 seconds left. 

The Lions grabbed their first lead of the game with 5:05 left in the third period on a nifty move by centreman Kayne McCadden.

With Kolby Latulippe pressuring the Panthers right defenseman along the boards, he forced the puck into the middle right where McCadden was standing. 

A quick toe drag around a Panther forward, quick acceleration around the defenseman and he broke in alone a netted a shot in the top corner over the goalie glove.

The story throughout the game was the amazing goaltending of Brendan Shaver, who faced and turned away dozens of shots. Shaver received the “The Big Stick Award” for his outstanding play and his hard work.

The Panthers opened the scoring at 4:05 of the first period and the Lions responded with 55 seconds left when Emytt Fetterly kept the puck alive at the blue line getting it in deep so McCadden could pick it up and score his first of the game.

In the second period, the Panthers went up 2-1, before McCadden netted another when yet again a puck went over the net and goalie from behind the goal line and ended up in front before being knocked home. Nolan Henry picked up the lone assist on play.

The South Dundas “Pioneer Gas” Lions open their regular season home schedule Saturday, October 15th at 7 p.m.

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Although the Morrisburg Junior Lions have long been out of the St. Lawrence Division playoff picture, their much improved play of late is causing a bit of havoc in the standings as four teams continue to jockey for the second through fourth place positions.

This past week, the Lions defeated the third place Winchester Hawks, not once, but twice, and then forced the Alexandria Glens into overtime for their 3-2 win.

After the Casselman Vikings at 67 points, (first place locked up weeks ago position), it becomes pretty much anybody’s game…with the next four contenders all within four points of each other for the next three spots.

The Rebels are holding the edge with 43 points in 34 games, while the Hawks (in 35 games) have 40 points and Akwesasne (34 games played) and Alexandria (37 games played) are tied with 39 points.

To say there will be some interesting games in the next two weekends (regular season ends February 9) is an understatement, and the Lions, with two upcoming games against Akwesasne (closing weekend) and one against Char-Lan (Saturday, February 1 at Char-Lan), could possibly play a major part in the outcome of it all.

The Lions got rolling on their best stretch of hockey this season on home ice last Tuesday night, when they downed the visiting Hawks 8-4.

They held the pace, Friday night, January 24, again to double the Hawks, this time by a 6-3 count right in Winchester.

Sunday on home ice, they held the Glens to a 2-2 tie in regulation time and lost in overtime.

The Lions kicked off their week with the 8-4 victory over the Hawks on home ice last Tuesday night, January 21.

After a scoreless first period, Shawn Simms put the Hawks on the scoreboard 3:42 into the second, and at 8:52 the Lions Justin Lefevbre evened it with help from Eric Evans and Liam Morrow.

Two more Lions goals, from Isaac Brownlee at 14:47 and Morrow at 19:56, put the Lions in command of the game, 3-1 at the end of the second period. 

Just under two minutes into the third period, the Hawks Bryden Van Kessel cut the gap to 3-2, but that was it as the Lions came charging back for four in a row to make it 7-2.

Cole Blanchard started it off on the Lions power play, then Justin Rutley scored while the Lions were short-handed at 5:46.

William White made it 6-2 at 8:32 and Drew Veenstra counted the Lions seventh goal at 11:34, unassisted.

The Hawks came back for two from Brodie Braun and Shawn Simms, but that was it.

Justin Rutley (from White and Michael Paquette) scored his second of the game in the last minute of play for the 8-4 Lions win.

John Gilmer was in the Lions net for the win and Nathan Bowness saw action for the Hawks.

The Lions sat out seven minor penalties and a 10 minute misconduct, while the Hawks were assessed nine minors and a misconduct.

The two were back at it Friday night in Winchester, and finally after 15 minutes of action in the first period, Justin Rutley (from Justin Lefevbre) got it started for the Lions with a goal at 15:34.

Chris Pearson, with help from Rutley, made it 2-0 Lions at 15:34.

The 2-0 Lions lead held until 13:06 of the second period when Drew Veenstra (from Steven Savage) upped it to 3-0.

The second period came to an end with a flourish of goals, three scored in just over one minute. 

Austin Roth and Bryden Van Kesssel both put the puck past Lions goaltender Brandon Chilton, while Drew Veenstra counted once  against Hawks goaltender Jeremy Wright, to give the Lions a 4-2 advantage heading into the third period.

Steve Savage put the Lions up 5-2 at 6:23, and at 8:24 Kyle Richardson cup the gap to 5-3.

That would be all for the Hawks and the Lions would count one more from the stick of Chris Pearson (assisted by Justin Rutley) for the 6-3 win.

The Lions were assessed seven minor penalties, while the Hawks drew 12 minors, a double minor, a five minute cross checking major, two 10 minute misconducts and two game misconducts. 

Saturday night, on home ice, the Lions lost a heart-breakers to the visiting Alexandria Glens, 3-2 in overtime.

Chris Pearson, on the Lions power play, put them one up at 15:35 of the first period with help from Steven Savage.

That lasted until 5:55 into the second period when Brandon Barillao beat Lions goaltender John Gilmer to even it a 1-1.

Again the Lions came charging back, this time with a Liam Morrow goal assisted by Kieran Devine at 7:09.

The Lions advantage lasted until 12:24 when Adam Cooke beat Gilmer to even it 2-2 and that’s the way it ended. 

Eric Verville counted the overtime winner for the Glens.

The Lions sat out six minor penalties, a five minute fighting major and a game misconduct. The Glens were assessed five minors and corresponding fighting and misconduct penalties. The Lions were outshot 49-33.

Coming up this week the Lions travel to Casselman for a 7:30 p.m game Thursday night, January 30. Saturday, February 1, they are on the road to take on the Char-Lan Rebels.

Their final home game is Sunday, February 9, when the Akwesasne Wolves are in town for a 2:30 p.m. match.

For the February 9 game, the Lions are inviting all kids from South Dundas and South Stormont to come to the game. All youngsters wearing their team hockey jersey will be admitted free to the game. The Lions encourage you to bring a non perishable food item to be donated to the local Food Bank.

The Morrisburg Lions understand the dedication and commitment of the minor hockey players involved with playing Canada’s pastime and would like to reward those that play this wonderful game with a free afternoon of Junior hockey. 

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