Loss to Almonte in rough outing . . .
Junior Lions seeking 2nd win Saturday . . .
Wednesday, Oct. 2nd - South Dundas’ favourite junior hockey team may be off to a slow regular season start after three games although the league statistics show six of the ten squads making up two divisions are in the same boat. Morrisburg’s Lions are patiently awaiting the chance to ice a healthy team, currently suffering injuries to key players.
Top defensemen Hudson Fetterly is hung up with a chest injury and Kayne McCadden is down with an ankle injury. Playmaker Ashton Adams is hoping to return this weekend after suffering a shoulder injury. Rookie Jordan Elliott continues rehab on a nagging shoulder injury and defenceman Augustus Curry was out of the past weekend’s lineup.
Although the Morrisburg entry sits in 9th-place in league standings after three games, their collective ability to score stands within the top six teams. The gaping injury holes on the back side of the team have allowed a 2nd-place standing in the goals-against column.
After falling to the Castors at Cumberland on a 9-1 count in their 2nd outing of the season the Lions travelled to Almonte to meet the Inferno at District Community Centre, coming away on a 6-3 loss after 60 minutes of action.
“Well, we simply didn’t come out of the gate blazing,” offered Coach Jamie Smith early this week, “I think we believed we had the game won before it even started.” He added, referring to his team’s attitude concerning their opening season victory over the Inferno.
“Almonte came at us hard and they kept the pressure up throughout the game,” Smith said of the home team’s 2-1 and 5-2 first and second period leads.
“We simply weren’t ready for them, and that’s a lesson learned!!”
The Inferno’s Tristan Banks opened the game scoring on a short-handed play when team-mate Wayland Thompson set him up for the game’s first goal. Devin Clarke gave Almonte a 2-0 lead just two minutes later when he beat Lion’s netminder Carson Turner for the counter. Morrisburg’s power-play cut the home team’s lead to a single marker late in the period when Callum Stevenson relayed a Ben Lapier/Brad Greggain into a man-advantage goal for the Lions.
Middle period action kept the game interesting and the Lions within victory distance as Shamus Mcdonald added Morrisburg’s second power-play goal on a Josh Broad/Justin Cyr play to tie the game. The Inferno answered that one, taking a 3-2 lead 40 seconds later when Ben Hester relayed a Ty Moore pass into the twine behind Turner and went up 4-2 midway through the period when Wayland Thompson added Almonte’s 4th-goal on an unassisted effort.
Callum Stevenson fired his second of the game on a power play opportunity supported by Bennett Harty and Greggain to keep the score within reach only to see the Inferno’s Louis Tumber put his team up 5-3 in the final minute of the period.
The Inferno’s Captain, Justin Greene, combined with Tristan Banks and Wayland Thompson on a power-play early in the final 20-minutes to settle the game score at 6-3 on the night.
The penalty filled game saw the Lions assessed nine of the 19-penalties called over the three periods.
“Our injuries aren’t helping us right now,” the Lion’s Coach said after the game, “But we have to find another gear to pick up the slack in those games.”
On Saturday evening, Oct. 5th, the Lions host the winless South Grenville Rangers in a 7:15 pm puck drop. then travel to Gatineau’s Slush Puppy Centre on Sunday to meet the undefeated, league leading Hull Volant in a 4:00 pm start..
Coach Smith said his team may be facing a winless Rangers squad on Saturday evening in this early regular season match but a strong start is absolutely a must to get a winning run going. The long standing waterfront rivalry between the Rangers and the Lions will no doubt play a roll in the outcome of the game.