CARDINAL – A frustrated Morrisburg Lions team took on the league-leading South Grenville Rangers in Cardinal January 10th. That frustration boiled over as the Rangers handed the Lions their fourth double-digit loss this season in a 10-0 shut out.
Jordan Poulin cracked open the scoring 10 minutes into the game (from Mark McKay and Dylan Sharpley), sending the puck past Lions’ goalie Riley Phillips. Morrisburg held South Grenville to only one goal in the first period.
The game started to go downhill in the final minute of the period when tempers flared on the ice. That resulted in the Lions’ leading goal-scorer Justice Brownlee leaving the game.
Eight minutes into the second period, the Rangers cracked through the Lions’ defence, scoring the first of seven unanswered goals. Mathieu Giroux’s power play goal began the run (from Brody Ranger and Jordan Dodge). Following that, Cooper Kingston, Owen Webster, McKay, and Cole Edgely (power play) each scored once, while Jacob Servage had two goals in the period.
Another flare up on the ice saw Lions’ forward Kevin Doyle expelled from the game by officials. Four minutes later, defenceman Greg McMullen followed his teammate out of the game. The Rangers led the Lions 8-0 after 40 minutes.
South Grenville put up two more goals late in the third period when Sharpley and Cameron Dillon each found the back of Morrisburg’s net.
Rangers’ goalie Xavier Dusablon posted his first shut out of the season, while Phillips claimed his 13th loss of the season.
With the win, the Rangers swept the season-series against the Lions, claiming all six wins.
National Capital Junior Hockey League games scheduled for January 11th and 12th were postponed by the league due to road conditions.
Morrisburg was to host the Bytown Royals, while South Grenville was scheduled to visit the North Dundas Rockets. Those games will be rescheduled.
The Lions will host the Metcalfe Jets in Morrisburg on January 18th in a must-win game for Morrisburg. Metcalfe currently holds the final playoff spot. A loss by the Lions will eliminate that team from the post-season.
Meanwhile in Cardinal, the Rangers will host the Gatineau Hull-Volant in a battle between the top-two teams in the league, also on January 18th.
