CCHL This Week

By Jeff Maguire

The leaders in the Central Canada Hockey League (CCHL) are looking over their shoulders this week. That’s because the defending champion Nepean Raiders are charging up the standings!

Sunday Raiders fell 6-5 in a shootout to Cornwall Colts, who Nepean edged out in the maximum seven games in last spring’s CCHL championship series. But with at least one point from each of their last seven games the champions are now third overall in the league. Monday morning they were just a single point behind Yzerman Division leading Ottawa Junior Senators. Ottawa dropped only their second game in eight outings Sunday night, falling 2-1 to the previously slumping Lumber Kings in Pembroke.

Smiths Falls Bears continue to lead the CCHL and Robinson Division standings with 21 points, despite a 4-3 loss to Cumberland Grads in Navan Sunday afternoon.

Carleton Place Canadians sit second in the Robinson and fourth overall after beating Hawkesbury 5-2 Sunday to gain a split in their weekend home and home series with Hawks.

After an indifferent start which saw them drop four of their first eight games this season, Nepean is now among the hottest sides in the 12-team league. In their last seven outings Raiders have won four games in regulation and been beaten three times in shootouts.

Head coach and general manager Peter Goulet is confident his club, with 10 new faces in the line-up, is coming together.

“It’s how you finish (the season) and not how you start. But we have had a decent start and now we are taking things a game at a time,” Goulet said Monday morning.

“Overtime has helped us,” he admits, saying a point can be critical during the regular season.

“But there are no shootouts in the playoffs,” Goulet chuckled.

The biggest change in the Nepean line-up is on defence where there are five newcomers. But the veteran coach and GM is confident his backline is coming together, even at this early stage of the campaign. The statistics back him up!

“We let one get away yesterday (against Cornwall),” he noted. But Raiders have the lowest goals against total in the league (40) which the coach is pleased about.

As for the league itself Goulet is impressed by what he has seen to date.

“It’s good to see teams like Smiths Falls, Kanata and Gloucester playing so well. It’s great hockey – a really good brand.

“With no NHL at the moment we would obviously like to see more fans come out and watch our league, especially in Ottawa. They won’t be disappointed,” Goulet pledges.

Five of the 12 clubs in the CCHL are based in the nation’s capital!

It was a very busy week across the CCHL with 16 games played. On Sunday afternoon and evening all 12 teams saw action!

Hectic Sunday

Cornwall 7 – Nepean 6 (SO): Raiders suffered their first loss in four games falling to the Colts in a shootout at Nepean Sportsplex Sunday afternoon. But they have rung up 11 points in seven games and stood just a point behind the Yzerman leading Junior Senators Monday. There was offence aplenty in this one with Nepean outshooting the visitors 50-47 and 13 goals scored in regulation time. Centre Marly Quince paced the winners with four goals and an assist. Nepean winger Stephen Johnston’s second marker of the afternoon and fifth of the season, with 4:05 left in the third, forced overtime. Following a scoreless five minute, extra session each team sent three men to the line in the shootout. Cornwall outscored Nepean 2-1 to pick up the bonus point. Raiders led 2-0 after one and they extended their advantage to 3-0 in the second on Johnston’s powerplay strike. Colts roared back with four goals before the end of the middle stanza, two of which came during powerplays. The home team triggered two of three markers in the third. Quince’s four goals left him tied with league scoring leader Dalen Hedges for the CCHL goal lead with 13 each. Hedges had a goal and one assist Sunday giving him 27 points. Cornwall scoring leader Roman Ammirato scored once and set up three.

Carleton Place 5 – Hawkesbury 3: Playing at home Sunday afternoon Canadians earned a split of their weekend home and home with Hawkesbury to move within three points of Robinson Division leading Smiths Falls. A pair of third period goals by left winger Kevin Dufour sealed it for Carleton Place (9-5). Dufour, a 20-year-old from Beaufort, Quebec took over the team lead in scoring with 16 points including nine goals in 12 games. He also assisted on defenceman Larry Smith’s second period tally which turned out to be the game winner. Anthony McVeigh with an unassisted strike and Nick Erb staked Canadians to an early lead. Carl Faucher replied for the visitors late in the first and Shane Topf tied it just past the midway mark of period two. Defenceman Christian Weidauer set up a pair for the winners while left winger Brandon Bussey chipped in with a pair of assists for Hawks. Carleton Place outshot Hawkesbury 32-26 in the well-played game. Winning goalie Tony Kujava kicked out 24 shots to level his record at 2-2.

Cumberland 4 – Smiths Falls 3: League leaders Smiths Falls suffered their first setback in four games but remained at the top of the overall standings with an impressive 10-4-0-1 record and 21 points. Bears outshot Grads 43-31 at Navan Memorial Centre but couldn’t put enough pucks past Cumberland net minder Devan Tremblay who had another fine outing turning aside 40 shots. Former Grads’ goalie Patrick Martin started for Bears but was replaced by Jimmy Howe late in the first period after giving up three goals on 14 shots. Howe was the hard luck loser despite yielding just one goal in the third period. David Higgs staked the home team to an early lead and Matthew Morin and Mark Golberg each netted shorthanded as Cumberland led 3-0 after 20 minutes. Left winger Nolan Trombetta had the only second period goal for Smiths Falls. Eric Clitsome’s powerplay tally for Grads with six and a half minutes left proved to be decisive. Trombetta, with his second in four appearances, and Connor McLaren made it close with strikes less than a minute apart late in the third. Centre Colin Kruze set up a pair for the winners. Grads dodged a bullet in this one! They took 14 of the game’s 20 penalties. But Bears were a depressing 0-12 on the powerplay.

Brockville 4 – Gloucester 1: The improving Braves won their fifth game in six starts Sunday afternoon. Centre David Ferreira triggered a pair to give him the team goal scoring lead with eight. Brockville held a 33-23 shots advantage and they led 1-0 and 3-0 at the intervals. Zach Todd’s goal came with just one second remaining in the middle period while Erik Brown made it a 4-0 game early in period three. Stevie Ray Adams powerplay marker with 5:36 left ruined Cody Karpinski’s shutout bid. Adams now has 11 points including four goals in nine games since joining Rangers is a trade with Kemptville Sept. 24. Left winger Anthony Pino helped the Brockville cause with a pair of assists. Gianmarco De Meis suffered the net minding loss despite kicking out 29 shots.

Kanata 6 – Kemptville 1: Stallions gained a weekend split by sending the stumbling 73’s to their third straight loss in Kemptville Sunday night. Kanata (8-6-1-0) is a solid third in the Yzerman Division while the rebuilding 73’s are last in the league with a disappointing 4-9-0-2 mark to date. Winger Alex Stothart’s third goal of the weekend gave the visitors a 1-0 lead after 20 minutes. Joe Breslin made it 2-0 in the second and Kanata banged in two more in the third to take charge of the contest. Kemptville captain Mason Nowak got his team on the board with his fourth of the season with 4:04 left. Brandon Petrie and Fabian Walsh with his second of the period scored just 28 seconds apart late in the game to put the icing on the cake for Kanata. Rookie Braeden Moffatt had the other third period strike for the visitors who outshot 73’s by a 25-20 margin. Fighting erupted with just seconds left on the clock. Breslin and Kemptville winger Stephen Cooney will miss their team’s next games as a result of the fracas. There had only been six minor penalties until tempers boiled over in the final minute of the contest.

Pembroke 2 – Ottawa 1: Lumber Kings got back on track by surprising Yzerman leaders Ottawa in the lowest scoring game of the weekend. It was only the second win for Pembroke in their past eight games while Junior Senators fell for just the second time in eight outings. The opening stanza was scoreless but in the second Kings’ left winger Liam Biard connected at the 3:37 mark. Then with just 51 seconds remaining in the period it was defenceman Philippe Drouin scoring his first of the campaign during a Pembroke powerplay.  Blueliner Joe Shecter’s third of the year at 7:43 of the final frame set up a tight finish. But Sens were unable to test winning goalie Darren Smith often enough. Ottawa was outshot 32-24 with former Pembroke net minder Charlie Millen suffering the loss despite making 30 stops. Left winger Ben Dalpe took over the Pembroke scoring lead with two assists. Dalpe has 16 points including 10 helpers in 15 appearances. A good crowd of more than 700 took in the action at Pembroke Memorial Centre.

Raiders rampant

Nepean 7 – Kemptville 2: The rampaging Raiders won their third game of the week Friday night as the defending CCHL champions continue to climb the ladder of success. The score wasn’t reflective of the play with the clubs finishing tied in shots at 28 apiece. For the second straight game Ryan Mulder was hot in the Nepean cage kicking out 26 shots for his third win in as many starts. Veteran centre Dalen Hedges did the rest! He had a five-point night including a natural hat trick in the second period to take over the league lead in scoring with 25 points including 12 goals in 13 games. His tallies all came during powerplays and they were scored during a five-minute span starting at 13:37 of the middle period. Hedges’ flurry of goals broke the contest wide open! Raiders outscored the home team 3-2 in a hectic and penalty-filled third period. One player from each side was ejected for fighting in the final five minutes. Nepean led the penalty parade but Kemptville was only one for seven with the man advantage. Raiders were a far more efficient four for seven. Rookie forward Wyatt Coghill scored twice for the winners, his opening strikes of the campaign. Left winger Kenneth Neil scored once and set up two. Hard working winger Lucas Gonu had a goal and one assist for 73’s.

Smiths Falls 5 – Pembroke 3: Bears continue to be a surprise team in the early going. After just making the playoffs last spring and then falling in four straight games to Nepean in the quarter finals, Smiths Falls has charged out of the gate this season. Friday they took the overall lead in the CCHL by disposing of perennial champions Pembroke in front of more than 600 at the new Memorial Centre in the Rideau Canal town. Three unanswered goals in the third period, two of them by high flying Connor McLaren, erased a 3-2 Lumber Kings’ lead and propelled Bears (10-3-0-1) to the top of the league. McLaren’s goals, the second of which went into the empty Pembroke cage with three seconds remaining, left him tied for 10th in league scoring with 17 points. Centre Karson McCartney of Perth broke out of a season-long slump with a pair of goals. His second, early in period three, was the game winner. Forward Chris Maniccia stayed tied for the overall points lead in the league by scoring his 11th of the season in the second period. Bears outshot Lumber Kings 42-31 with Jimmy Howe the winning net minder. Centre Owen McDade led the visitors’ offence with a goal and one helper.

Hawkesbury 4 – Carleton Place 1: A recent nemesis returned to haunt Canadians Friday. In their first meeting of the season Hawks, the last place team in the Robinson Division, defeated the second place Carleton Place club. It was their first meeting of this season. Last March Hawkesbury famously swept the fourth place Canadians out of the opening round of the playoffs. Once again it was Hawks’ goalie Carmine Guerriero who spoiled the night for the visitors! He was nothing short of spectacular making 56 saves as the visitors outshot Hawkesbury 57-31 and held a wide edge in territorial play. Guerriero’s heroics gave Hawkesbury their fourth consecutive Friday night win on home ice and lifted them into a points tie with slumping Kemptville at the foot of the division. The opening period was scoreless despite the fact Carleton Place poured 17 shots at Guerriero. Three goals in a span of less than 12 minutes in the middle stanza sealed the win for Hawkesbury. The fourth Hawks’ goal was scored by Francis Landers into the empty Carleton Place cage with five seconds left in the third. Carl Faucher, Pietro Antonelli and Shane Topf had the second period strikes. Defenceman Holden Anderson assisted on all three! Canadians’ scoring leader Luke Edwards broke up Guerriero’s shutout bid with his fourth goal at 8:12 of the final frame.

Brockville 7 – Cumberland 1: The slumping Grads fell to the Yzerman Division basement when they were bested by the Braves in Brockville Friday night. Captain Chris Roll led the home team with two goals and as assist as Brockville improved to 6-5-0-1 and moved closer to the leaders in the Robinson standings. Matthew Jenkins was solid between the pipes for Braves making 24 stops in what was a close game everywhere but on the scoreboard. Cumberland starter Devan Tremblay had a tough night. He was lifted at 13:23 of the second after Roll’s first goal made it 4-1 Brockville. Tremblay yielded four goals on just 15 shots to suffer his fifth loss in nine decisions. Reilly Turner went the rest of the way giving up three more Braves’ markers. Brockville native Nathan Todd had a goal and two helpers while team scoring leader Ben Blasko moved to 20 points on the campaign with his seventh goal and one assist. Cory Wilson and Taylor Henry also had one tally and an assist for the winners who outshot Cumberland 27-25. Eric Clitsome’s powerplay strike with 35 seconds remaining in the opening frame turned out to be the only Grads’ scoring play.

Gloucester 4 – Kanata 2: The improving Rangers sent Stallions to their second loss of the week, doubling the visitors in front of just over 200 fans at Earl Armstrong Arena in Orleans Friday. Two goals late in the third period broke a 2-2 tie, propelling Gloucester to their third triumph in four starts. Rangers moved within two points of third place Kanata in the tight Yzerman Division. Recently acquired forward Matt Rosebrook continues to light it up for Rangers! He had a goal and an assist to help the offence, giving him a remarkable 13 points including nine goals since his trade from Kemptville in late September. Rosebrook was tied for 10th in CCHL scoring following play Friday. Christian Leger also had a goal and a helper for the winners while Kyle Leduc and Keegan Rowe had the others for Gloucester. Right winger Alex Stothart connected twice for Stallions including a powerplay marker early in the third period that briefly tied the contest 2-2. Leduc and Rosebrook, with tallies just over two minutes apart late in regulation, won it for the home side. Gloucester outshot Kanata 42-36 with Gunner Rivers making 34 stops to even his record at 4-4. Rookie net minder Brayden St-Germain fell to 1-2 despite turning aside 38 shots in Stallions’ cage.

Last week’s games

Cornwall 5 – Kemptville 1: Colts moved within a point of second place in the Robinson Division with a comprehensive victory over league strugglers Kemptville Thursday at Ed Lumley Arena. The triumph boosted Colts, finalists the past two seasons in the CCHL, just over the .500 mark on the campaign. But after Thursday’s action they joined Gloucester with the most games played to date – 14. This one was all Cornwall! They outshot 73’s by a big 42-26 margin and led 5-0 before Kemptville’s Lucas Gonu ruined Jordan Piccolino’s shutout bid at 8:18 of the third period. Tanner Spink had a goal and an assist to pace the winners who also got single tallies from Michael Pontarelli, Lawson MacDonald, dependable Trent Durocher and Alexandre Gendron during a third period powerplay. Billy Cooper made 37 stops in a losing cause for Kemptville who fell to 4-7-0-2. Just less than 700 fans took in the action at Cornwall. Colts have the highest attendance in the CCHL so far this season after seven home games.

Nepean 6 – Pembroke 1: Raiders’ resurgence continued Wednesday and for a second consecutive night it was goaltending that played a huge part in the win. Matt Zawadzki kicked out 47 shots as Nepean improved to 7-3-0-2 and moved into second place in the highly competitive Yzerman Division. Pembroke held a commanding 48-35 lead in shots. But the only Kings’ player to find a way past Zawadzki was team scoring leader Stephen Hrehoriak in the second period. Otherwise the veteran goalie was unbeatable! He turned aside an amazing 23 shots in the middle stanza alone as Pembroke held a wide territorial advantage, outshooting the home team 24-12 in the period. Nepean defenceman Derek Diaz opened scoring late in the first and right winger Brent Norris netted what turned out to be the game winner during a powerplay midway through the second period. Brandon Watt made it 3-1 with 2:16 left in the second and just 53 seconds into the final frame Norris triggered his second of the night and ninth of the season as Raiders took command on the scoreboard. Dalen Hedges added a powerplay goal and blueliner Andrew DeBrincat, with his second goal in as many nights, rounded out scoring with just 2:49 left on the clock. Zawadzki was a deserving first star!

Ottawa 5 – Cornwall 4 (OT): Senators impressive start to the campaign continued on home ice Wednesday with a spectacular come-from-behind victory. Red-hot Ottawa won their eighth in nine starts to stay atop the overall CCHL standings. Greg Jansz sixth goal of the season at 1:01 of overtime sealed two more points for the rampant Junior Sens. Ottawa trailed 2-0 after one period and Colts upped the count to 4-0 with two goals in just over two minutes early in period two. But before the stanza was over the confident Sens responded with two of their own. Then just 45 seconds into the final regulation period it was veteran forward Ben Robillard making it a one goal game. Four minutes later forward Luc Deschamps came up with an unassisted effort to tie it. Jansz’s OT winner was his fourth marker in five games. Robillard and Ryan Collins led the way with a goal and two assists each while Joe Shecter had a second period goal for Sens. Cornwall got two powerplay goals and one assist from defenceman Stephen Johnson. Michael Pontarelli also counted during a powerplay and Trent Durocher netted his fifth for Cornwall. Alex Savard-Belanger was the winning goalie in relief of starter Charlie Millen who allowed all four Cornwall goals in 30 minutes of work.   

Smiths Falls 4 – Hawkesbury 2: The surprising Bears regained the overall points lead in the CCHL Tuesday by winning their ninth game in 12 outings, this time at the expense of league cellar dwellers Hawkesbury. Hawks have played much better recently and they outshot the home team 33-25. But despite taking a 2-1 lead into the second period Hawkesbury couldn’t hold it. Smiths Falls rebounded with a pair of powerplay markers in the middle stanza. They added insurance midway through the third when red-hot centre Chris Maniccia triggered his 12th goal of the season, giving him a league leading 23 points in 13 appearances. Veteran Jeffrey Carroll staked Bears to an early lead in the opening stanza while Connor McLaren and high scoring blueliner Tyler Akeson netted the second period powerplay markers. It was Akeson’s first goal, but he also has 15 assists. Yanik Laliberte, during a man advantage situation and Stefano Momesso had the first period goals for Hawks. Jimmy Howe made 31 saves for his third win of the season against one setback. Brock Crossthwaite suffered his third loss in as many starts in the Hawkesbury cage. 

Nepean 5 – Kanata 0: Back-up goalie Ryan Mulder made 39 saves as Raiders got back on track, blanking Stallions in Kanata Tuesday. Mulder, 19, of Ottawa won his second game in as many appearances. He was a worthy first star selection! Winger Cameron Yarwood’s third goal, just 10 seconds after the opening face-off, proved to be the winner. Nepean got second period strikes from defenceman Andrew DeBrincat, Keenan Hodgson, Phillip Nasca and Dalen Hedges. Veteran right winger Nasca was playing his first game since moving from Stallions to Raiders last month. Nepean scoring leader Hedges also assisted twice giving him 19 points on the campaign. Brett Norris and Kenneth Neil also set up two apiece. The third period was scoreless. Kanata was a woeful 0-9 on the powerplay which contributed to their demise. Brandon Lane started in goal but was replaced by back-up Brayden St-Germain after the fifth Nepean goal at 12:57 of the second. Raiders out chanced Stallions 44-39. 

A rare Tuesday night tripleheader opens the busiest week so far this season in the CCHL. A total of 18 games are scheduled from Tuesday through Sunday. Friday night all 12 teams will see action for only the third time in the new campaign!

Jeff Maguire is a career journalist based in Carleton Place. He has covered junior hockey in Ontario for 41 years. Jeff’s report will appear on the CCHL website every Monday throughout the season. He can be reached by e-mail at: jeffrey.maguire@rogers.com