Arnprior Packers still have a shot at first place, Stittsville will miss playoffs after loss to Almonte
Posted Feb 5, 2010 By Jeff Maguire
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Tweet ThisEMC Sports - A loss by the previously hot Perth Blue Wings and a pair of wins by the Arnprior Packers means there is still a race for first place in the Valley Division of the Eastern Ontario Junior Hockey League (EOJHL).
Spearheaded by the high scoring line of Taylor Collins, Steven Frost and Peter Sweeney, Arnprior is now just three points behind Perth. The trio combined for seven more points in a 5-2 Packers' victory over visiting Renfrew Timberwolves.
Meanwhile Perth was edged 5-4 at home by Metcalfe Jets of the Metro Division Sunday afternoon.
The gap between Valley and Metro teams has never been more glaring. Jets, who are last in the Metro and already eliminated from the playoffs, beat Valley teams twice on the weekend. That means Metro sides have won 60 of 70 interlocking encounters with Valley squads this season, the worst imbalance in memory.
Considering Perth is first in the Valley at present, it doesn't bode well for whoever wins the division title and then has to face the Metro champion in the league playoffs.
Ottawa West Golden Knights, the defending Metro and league champions, are currently running away with the entire four-division, 22-team EOJHL. Knights, who started slowly this season, are now the top team overall with 30-8-2 mark. In their last 20 games, dating back to Nov. 19, Ottawa West is a sparkling 17-2-1 and has all but wrapped up top spot in their division.
Both Perth and Arnprior have four games remaining including a head-to-head meeting at Nick Smith Centre Friday, Feb. 12 which could determine first place in the division.
In Arnprior Sunday night, Packers out shot the third place Wolves 50-32. Arnprior led 2-1 and 5-2 at the intermissions. The third period was scoreless.
"We are just now starting to play well at both ends of the ice," Packers' head coach Bill Griese told the EMC Monday. "Getting James Craig and Danby Sucko back on defence has really helped us."
The deadliest scoring combination in the league also belongs to Arnprior. They were flying again Sunday! Frost notched No. 31 and Sweeney netted his 19th. Frost added a pair of assists while Collins had three helpers. Collins leads the division scoring derby with 79 points, Frost is second with 76 and Sweeney third with 59.
Matt Grandinetti with his eighth, Matt Lemay with his second and Joel Bush with his first also scored for the winners. Bush also set up one tally.
Renfrew got singles from Nathan Siydock and Matt Johnston while Lucas Gonu earned assists on both scores.
Mike Rosebrook was brilliant between the pipes for the visitors making 45 saves. Josh Cooper was the winning goalie.
Double Royals
Friday night Perth and Arnprior each scored identical 4-2 victories to remain five points apart in the fight for first.
Packers doubled visiting Stittsville Royals with Collins scoring twice to take his division-leading goal total to 34. Cooper was outstanding in goal making 32 saves as Royals out shot Arnprior 34-29.
Collins' line mate Sweeney set up both of his markers while Frost had one assist.
Arnprior grabbed a 2-0 first period lead with two late markers, just one minute 40 seconds apart. Both sides had a pair of second period tallies and the third was scoreless.
Brock Zielinski netted No. 7 on a powerplay for the winners with David Nelson triggering his fifth. Adam Cybulski also had two assists for Arnprior.
For Stittsville it was Michael Byrne with his 18th of the campaign and Dave Borden collecting his 11th. Andrew Moir absorbed the goaltending defeat.
Craig and Cameron Stewart of Packers were ejected for fighting in the second and third periods respectively while Stittsville's Greg Harding also had an early shower for tangling with Craig. Stewart was tagged as the aggressor in the third period altercation in which no one from Royals was penalized.
Stittsville hurt themselves by going 0-9 on the powerplay. Packers were one for two.
Royals were eliminated from playoff contention when they were edged 5-4 by Almonte Thunder at Goulbourn Recreation Complex (GRC) Sunday afternoon.
Not that Thunder played well! They have been struggling badly and were out shot by a staggering 45-20. However veteran goalie Jeff Stout, who last year helped the former Carleton Place Legion Kings (now Thunder) to their second consecutive Valley championship, was spectacular in goal. Stout kicked out 41 Royals' scoring tries. He was especially outstanding in the second period when he stopped all 20 shots directed his way.
Almonte led 4-2 after a frantic opening period and they took a 5-2 lead into the final period. But despite scoring the only two goals of the third, Royals will miss the post season.
Stittsville managed to shut down Thunder scoring ace Josh Shanbaum. However, sophomore Tanner Knight tallied twice to take his total to 13, Connor Scanlan fired No. 12, Tim McGrath had a shorthanded, unassisted strike and Steve Miller opened scoring for Almonte in the first period.
Spencer Hill fired a pair for Stittsville with Steve Genier getting the other.
Tempers flared at the end with Royals' Scott Barnes and Almonte veteran Craig Vaillancourt picking up fighting majors. Both will miss their team's next games.
Matt McCaughan started in goal for Stittsville but was replaced by Moir following the third Almonte marker of the opening stanza at 16:37. Between them they made just 15 saves, with McCaughan allowing three goals on five shots.
Three second period tallies made the difference for Metcalfe in their game at Perth Sunday afternoon. The teams were deadlocked at a goal apiece following the first period and Jets took a 4-3 lead into the final frame. Michael McMurtry led the offence with his 10th goal and one assist.
For Blue Wings, who out shot Metcalfe 32-28, Adam Emmerton netted No. 10 and helped set up another. Eric Hebert fired his 23rd goal in the first period and singles also went to Peter McGahey and Blair Barr.
Karl Labelle made 28 saves for the net minding win while Perth starter Jeremy Wright was relieved by Troy Anderson in the third period.
Thunder hurting
Almonte isn't just being beaten on home ice these days, they are being humiliated!
Perhaps the ultimate embarrassment of the season for Thunder came when last place Shawville belted them 9-2 at Almonte and District Community Centre Saturday night. It marks the second consecutive Saturday night Thunder yielded nine goals on home ice. The previous Saturday they were blanked 9-0 by second place Arnprior.
But this time it was a Shawville team, who appeared to be relegated to the basement when the league shaved nine points from their total (for using an ineligible player), who were the beneficiary of Thunder's incredible slide.
Before Stout's performance in Stittsville Sunday, Thunder had played 10 times since the dawn of the new decade on Jan. 1. They lost nine of those 10 games and the other was a 5-5 draw with Royals.
Due to the board room moves by the EOJHL Almonte clings to fourth place, the final playoff position in the Valley.
Following Sunday's game in Stittsville, Almonte has just three games remaining on their schedule while Pontiacs have six. Shawville can still overtake Thunder for the final playoff position. The teams go head-to-head in Almonte Saturday night (Feb. 6) in the game that could determine who claims the remaining post season berth.
Saturday Pontiacs were all over Thunder in Almonte leading 4-0 after one period and 9-1 after 40 minutes. Dave Hobbs and Yann Godin each had hat tricks for the winners.
Shanbaum triggered No. 20 for Almonte with Blake Fee adding a late consolation.
Morgan Barr started in goal but was replaced by Stout after giving up seven goals on 27 shots.
Shawville outshot Almonte 50-38 with Alex Huard the winning netminder.
In Almonte Friday the division-leading Blue Wings won their fourth straight game. As usual goaltending kept the fast fading Thunder in the contest. They were out shot 41-31 but were greatly assisted by recent arrival Barr's 37 saves. Anderson was the winning net minder.
Shanbaum opened scoring at 11:52 of the first and Chris Hawkins had the game's last goal for Thunder with just 2:35 left to play.
In between the visitors got a shorthanded goal from Anthony McVeigh late in the opening period and second period markers from Jason Burchill, his first and Riley Kane who notched his 16th. Zach MacMillan made it 4-1 Perth at 6:58 of the final frame.
Referee Dan Dilworth called a dozen minor penalties, eight of them to Wings. Almonte was 0-6 with the man advantage which further hurt their cause.
Also Friday it was Metcalfe scoring a convincing 7-3 victory over visiting Shawville who, after their recent nine-point deduction, remain at the bottom of the Valley standings.
Tuesday Perth visited Renfrew and Wednesday Arnprior entertained Shawville in two important match-ups as the regular season quickly winds down.
Friday night Almonte travels to Perth for a 7:45 start while at 8 o'clock Shawville will visit near neighbour Renfrew. Saturday Almonte plays host to Pontiacs in an 8:20 puck drop.
Sunday afternoon Arnprior tangles with Stittsville at GRC beginning at 2:30. Sunday night Perth makes the long trek to West Quebec for a 7 o'clock start against the Pontiacs in Shawville.
Next Tuesday night (Feb. 9) Shawville will host Renfrew at 8 o'clock and on Thursday (Feb. 11) Pontiacs have a very tough assignment when they take on league leading Ottawa West Golden Knights, the runaway team in the Metro Division. Game-time at Barbara Ann Scott Arena in Ottawa is 7:20 p.m.
NOTE: In last week's story it was noted that Metcalfe's games against Shawville at home Jan. 29 and in Perth Jan. 31 were the final interlocking games of the regular season between Valley and Metro teams. In fact the Shawville-Ottawa West game Feb. 11 is the last interlocking contest of this season.
