CARDINAL – Playing three playoff hockey games in four nights is challenging for any team. Doing so without your starting goaltender only adds to that challenge. The South Grenville Rangers faced that challenge, looking to punch their ticket to the National Capital Junior Hockey League finals last weekend. Unfortunately for the Rangers, they will have to wait until next season.
The weekend run started off with a 4-3 win by South Grenville Thursday night (March 23) over the Gatineau Hull-Volant. Down 2-0 in the second period, Nick McFarlane (from Ethan Wooller and Nate Medaglia) scored a rare second period goal for the Rangers, short-handed, to keep the team in the game. Gatineau restored their two-goal lead three minutes later on a power play.
The Rangers were near the halfway mark of the third period when Wooller (from Cooper Rogers and Cole Jelly) scored a power play goal, followed by a goal by Owen Webster (from Noah Penney) to tie the game at 3-3. Less than seven minutes were remaining when Penney scored (from Webster), giving South Grenville a 4-3 win, and a 3-2 lead in the series.
Game six of the series in Gatineau March 25 had the teams knotted up 2-2 after 20 minutes. Wooller’s one-timer early in, and Penney’s late goal in the frame kept the teams level. Gatineau and South Grenville traded goals early in the second period before the Hull-Volant began to fly ahead, scoring twice more in the period. McFarlane had the lone goal for the Rangers as the team trailed the Hull-Volant 5-3 entering the third period.
Aidan Bailey (Jelly, Medaglia) scored 35 seconds into the third period, followed by Medaglia, and Connor VanLuit for the Rangers. But the Hull-Volant kept pace with the visitors, resulting in a 8-6 loss for South Grenville.
With the series tied 3-3, the teams battled one last time on Sunday night (March 26) in Cardinal. The Rangers had to deploy the emergency backup goalie (EBUG), with Morrisburg Lions’ goalie Andrew Brooks filling in for Rangers’ starter Andrew Cristea, who had been playing injured during the earlier games of the series. Penalty minutes was the real decider for the game however. Four of Gatineau’s eight goals were scored on the power play.
The Rangers trailed the Hull-Volant 2-0 after the first period. VanLuit kept South Grenville alive in the second only to have that work undone by Gatineau scoring two power play goals shortly after.
A power play goal by Nicholas Campeau, followed by McFarlane’s short-handed goal a minute later cut Gatineau’s lead back. South Grenville still trailed 5-3. Gatineau scored twice, one power play goal followed 27 seconds later by an even strength goal, recovered their four goal lead over South Grenville.
Colin Stacey’s goal with five minutes remaining showed there was some fight left in the team, but that fight did not translate into goals. Two more goals by the Hull-Volant added to the sour end for the Rangers’ playoff run. South Grenville exited the playoff second round with a 9-4 playoff loss.
After the game, general manager and head coach Lucas Stitt offered a few comments.
“We had another successful season that our entire team should be proud of, but it is always disappointing when you don’t achieve your goal of winning a championship,” he said.
The Rangers won the regular season posting a record of 26 wins, two ties, and one overtime loss for 55 points. South Grenville was locked in a close four-way battle for the top of the standings most of the season. In 2022, the team made the playoff finals, but lost to the Clarence Castors.
“I’d like to thank our players, volunteers, staff, executive, and of course the fans for their dedication this season,” said Stitt. “We will be back, and the emotional end with my players only confirms the work required is worth it.”
Gatineau advances to the league final for the first time since the team joined the National Capital Junior Hockey League in 2015. They face the defending league champions Clarence Castors.
The Castors seek their second-straight NCJHL championship. That series will begin Friday in Gatineau.