By Darryl G. Smart

On Friday night, the Norwich Jr C Merchants did what no team has done to the Ayr Centennials in Provincial Junior Hockey League Doherty Division action.
Led by Blake Pow’s five-point night, the Merchants handed the Centennials a 10-4 loss. It was the first time as a junior C team, the Centennials had given up 10 goals. The last time it happened, was April 11, 2011, when they lost 10-2 to the Thamesford Trojans in the Southern Ontario Junior Hockey League (junior D).
Pow scored two goals and three assists, while Brady VanYmeren also added a pair. Rycol Davis, Cam Allen, Cole Feeney, Jamie Damignani, Jake Luke, and Noah Giovinazzo netted one goal each.
The win gives the Merchants a 18-14-2 record, which puts them in sixth place in the very tight PJHL Doherty Division.
Tuesday, they are on the road against the Paris Mountie at 7pm. Friday and Saturday, the Merchants are back on the road to take on the Woodstock Navy Vets at 7:45pm, and the Delhi Travellers at 8pm respectively. Sunday the Merchants come home to play the Tavistock Braves at 2pm.

Mounties bounce back in 73 shot performance

After a tough one-goal loss to the Wellesley Applejacks Friday night, the Paris Mounties Jr Hockey bounced back in a big way Monday at home.
The Mounties fired 73 shots at Raine Steadman as they cruised to an 8-1 victory over the Delhi Travellers in Provincial Junior Hockey League Doherty Division action.
Steadman was the talk of the first period, stopping 26 shots, and Jack Gee scoring the lone goal of the period.
But the flood gates opened in the second period, with Tristan Romany striking twice to lead the way, while Justin Coles and Matt Mueller added one each.
Brayden Verschveren had the only response of the game for the Travellers midway through the frame.
In the third period, Brad Oldroyd, Blair Couwenberg and Coles added to the cause.
Mounties goalie Tarin Pennington made eight stops for the win.
On Friday in Wellesley, the Applejacks got second-period goals from Steven DeGroot and Brendan Baker in the second period, to lift their team to a 3-2 victory.
Kyle Brezinski and Coles scored in the first period for the Mounties, while Daniel McCutcheon responded for the Applejacks.
The 19-14-2-1 Mounties are now in fifth place in the PJHL Doherty Division standings.
With only four games to go in the regular season, the Mounties are back on the ice Tuesday, when they host the Norwich Merchants at 7pm, before playing host to the New Hamburg Firebirds Saturday at 7:20pm.

Burford plays Centennials tough thanks to Kelly’s hat trick

Despite a hat trick from Jacob Kelly, the Burford Bulldogs Junior Hockey Club dropped a 7-5 decision to the Ayr Centennials Saturday.
Derick DaSilva and Connor MacPhee added one goal each, while Caleb Ursu made 48 saves in the loss.
Matt Patton led the way for the Centennials, scoring two goals, while Jake Ertel, Calan Tanzi-Foshay, Carter Chard, Kobe Roe, and Curtis Anderson all had singles.
Richard Little made 35 saves in the win.
The 4-29-1-1 Bulldogs now have five games left in its Provincial Junior Hockey League Doherty Division regular season.
Tuesday host the Wellesley Applejacks at 8pm, before hitting the road Wednesday against the Delhi Travellers at 8:30pm. Friday, the Bulldogs finish off the week with a road game against the Tavistock Braves at 7:30pm.

Travellers still looking for first win

The Delhi Travellers Jr. C have five more shots at getting that elusive first win of the Provincial Junior Hockey League Doherty Division season.
Before dropping an 8-1 loss to the Paris Mounties Monday night, the Travellers lost 16-0 on the road to the Tavistock Braves Friday.
They are currently 0-35.
The Braves showed no mercy, out shooting the Travellers 82-12, and scoring nine times in the first period during a 37-shot barrage.
Justin Labrie, Tanner Johnson, Brock McKenzie, Spencer Shelp, and Bradley Smith all scored twice, while Ryan Donat, Patrick Vulgan, Drew Gerth, Ian Glendinning, Zac Berg, and Josh Helgerman added one each.
Jensen VanBoekel made 12 stops for the shutout.
The Travellers host the Burford Bulldogs Wednesday at 8:30pm, before taking on the New Hamburg Firebirds Friday at 7:30pm, on the road.

Hawks in a three-way battle for first

The Hagersville Hawks Jr C Hockey are showing that they belong at the top of the Provincial Junior Hockey League’s Bloomfield Division.
Thanks to its 4-4 overtime tie with the Glanbrook Rangers and 3-2 victory against the Grimsby Peach Kings, the Hawks are now in a three-way tie for first place in the PJHL’s Bloomfield Division with 57 points each.
Wednesday on the road, the Rangers and Hawks exchanged goals all night to force the draw.
Matt Weston scored twice for the Hawks, while Ralph Taggart and Sandy Porter netted one goal each.
Noah Matteson scored two for the Rangers, while Matt Wright and Dan Rocco netted one each.
Saturday at home, Wesley Fritz’s goal midway through the second period proved to be the difference in the 3-2 Hawks victory.
Taggart and Tycie Cowan scored for the Hawks in the first period, before the Peach Kings responded with goals from London Murray and Mason Gibson in the second frame, setting up Fritz’s heroics.
Avery Hartwick made 31 stops for the Hawks, while Riley Maskell had 36 saves for the Peach Kings.
With four games remaining, the Hawks hit the road Thursday against the Dundas Blues at 7:30pm, before they host the Rangers Saturday, also at 7:30pm.

Mudcats edged

Brady Bannon’s second goal of the game with five minutes to go in regulation, gave the Niagara RiverHawks Jr. Hockey Club a 3-2 win over the Dunnville Jr. Mudcats Friday during Provincial Junior hockey League Bloomfield Division action.
Riley Ricker and Matt Dolan responded for the Mudcats, while Keith Palmer also scored once in the win.
Gavan Banga made 36 stops for the win, while Austin Davison had 33 saves for the Mudcats.
The Mudcats now have a 10-25-1-2 record, and are tied with the Port Dover Sailors at the bottom of the PJHL Bloomfield Division standings with 23 points each.
Friday, they are on the road against the Grimsby Peach Kings at 7:30pm, before taking on the Hespeler Jr C Shamrocks Sunday at 3:30pm, also on the road.

Short-staffed Sailors try to stay afloat
The injury bug and illness took its toll on the Port Dover Sailors this past weekend in Provincial Junior Hockey League Bloomfield Division action.
Thursday on the road, the Dundas Blues struck four times to beat the Sailors 6-3.
After Keaton Kewley and Danny Attridge exchanged goals in the first period, Matt Hielema and Brett Stroud gave the Sailors the lead.
Andrew Salt had the lone Blues response in the second period, which seemed to spark his teammates.
In the third period, Scott McLaren, Attridge, Salt and Mikail Frolov put the Blues over the top.
Andrew Hawkins took the loss in a 36-save effort, while Nolan Verardo made 30 stops for the win.
Sunday at home, Martineau Elijah scored the lone Sailors goal in a 7-1 loss to the Niagara RiverHawks.
Tyler Seguin scored the hat trick to lead the RiverHawks, while Zach Snider, Keith Palmer, Carter LeRoux, and Reid Lowe added one each.
The two losses drops the Sailors record to 10-26-2-1, which puts them in a tie with the Dunnville Mudcats in the PJHL’s Bloomfield Division basement with 23 points each.
The Sailors have three games remaining in the regular season. Sunday they host the Blues at 2pm.