CCHL This Week

By: Jeff Maguire

Paul Jennings feels his team is coming into its own and in the highly energized atmosphere of the Central Canada Hockey League (CCHL) that is a good thing!

Jennings, the general manager of Gloucester Rangers, has watched his club recover from a slow start to the campaign and move into the thick of the early season race in the intensely competitive Yzerman Division of the CCHL.

Despite a 5-3 loss to the league leading Ottawa Junior Senators on Thanksgiving (Monday) afternoon Rangers are 4-3 in their last seven games and have earned nine of a possible 14 points during that stretch.

A busy early season schedule has seen them play 14 games to date, two more than any other team in the 12-team league.

Despite the holiday setback sixth place Gloucester sits just one point behind defending CCHL champion Nepean Raiders and Cumberland Grads in the Yzerman Division standings. Raiders however have four games in hand and Grads three. So Gloucester will have to continue to play well to be competitive.

Ottawa leads the division with 18 points, Kanata Stallions is second with 15 and Pembroke Lumber Kings are third with 14 points.

Sunday afternoon in Navan, the visiting Rangers defeated Cumberland 5-4 in overtime in an important contest. The winning goal was scored by recently acquired forward Matt Rosebrook with just 18 seconds left in the mandatory five-minute period.

Gloucester overturned a three goal deficit with three unanswered strikes in the third period to force the extra session. Rosebrook then scored his sixth goal in as many games since joining Rangers in a four player swap with league rival Kemptville 73’s in late September.

“I think we have turned the corner,” says Rangers’ GM Jennings whose team finished at the bottom of the league and out of the playoff mix last season.

After a decent post season run in the spring of 2011, last season was a rebuilding year for Gloucester who lost several top-flight, veteran players to graduation following the 2010-2011 campaign.

This season Jennings sees very little rebuilding happening across the CCHL!

“The whole league is really competitive this year. Everybody wants to be in the playoffs,” the veteran junior hockey team owner and GM says.

“You have to show up every night in this league. Everybody can beat anybody on a given night – it’s been happening all season so far. The standings are tight from top to bottom.”

Even though he had to give up two good players in the Sept. 24 trade with Kemptville, the Gloucester manager is pleased with the results to date.

Good additions

Rosebrook, a 19-year-old left winger from Carp has now scored eight goals and 11 points in just seven games for his new club. He triggered a pair of powerplay goals in the third period of this afternoon’s home ice loss to red-hot Ottawa. Gloucester trailed 4-1 heading into the final frame but made a game of it with a strong third period effort.

Rangers’ forward Stevie Ray Vaughan, 19, of Akwasasne, Quebec had one assist in the holiday afternoon clash. He has rung up 10 points including seven assists since the trade from Kemptville to Gloucester.

“It was a good trade for both teams,” Jennings says. “We gave up two guys we liked. Brad (Vaughn) is a veteran defenceman and Brett (Varrin) is an excellent forward. So we gave up a lot.”

Varrin scored 47 points while playing all 62 games for Gloucester last season. Vaughn, a defensive blueliner, returns to 73’s where he began his CCHL career in 2009-2010. He played 102 games for Rangers during two seasons in Orleans.

To date Varrin has contributed four goals and three assists in just five appearances for the improving Kemptville team who play in the Robinson Division.

Jennings however is more than happy with the contributions of Rosebrook and Adams.

“We needed a bit more offence and so far they have provided it.”

As mentioned, Gloucester has played the most games of any team in the league and will have to play well to stay with the pack in the Yzerman.

“The schedule is front loaded for us this season.

“We play at home on Thanksgiving because of the crunch for ice in the city of Ottawa. The holiday is a good day for us and we attract quite a few families to watch our games on Thanksgiving,” Jennings notes.

With the majority of the long (62 game) season remaining, Rangers’ GM is hopeful his team will be one of eight playoff entries when the regular campaign wraps up in March.

“It’s a long season but like everyone else we are aiming for a playoff place.”

Sens hot  

In the Thanksgiving afternoon game at Earl Armstrong Arena the front running Junior Senators won their seventh game in eight starts. Ottawa (9-3) has accumulated 18 points to take the overall points lead in the CCHL, one ahead of Smiths Falls and two up on Carleton Place. Bears and Canadians are 1-2 in the Robinson Division race.

After building a 4-0 lead it appeared Junior Sens would cakewalk against the hometown Rangers. But Gloucester scored three of the last five goals to make a game of it! Rangers held a 30-29 edge in shots but were frustrated by Alexandre Savard-Belanger who made 27 saves for his fourth win against two setbacks.

Left winger Greg Jansz had a goal and two assists for Ottawa who led 1-0 after 20 minutes and jumped out to a four goal advantage by putting three pucks past Gianmarco De Meis in the Gloucester cage in a span of less than five minutes in period two.

Highly rated rookie Hunter Racine opened scoring with his fifth goal while Owen Werthner, Luc Deschamps and Bruno Cheff had the second period tallies for Ottawa.

Andrew Rossy got Rangers on the board with just 21 seconds remaining in the middle period. Rosebrook struck twice in the third for the home team but Jansz powerplay goal at 13:52 was all the insurance Sens would need.

Both teams had a pair of powerplay markers. But Gloucester misfired on seven man advantage chances and that proved costly.

It was another hectic week in the CCHL with 15 games played from Tuesday through Monday afternoon.

Busy Sunday

Ottawa 4 – Hawkesbury 3 (SO): The surprising Junior Senators squeezed past Hawks in a shootout in Hawkesbury Sunday night. It was third shootout win in the past seven games, six of which were Ottawa victories. Despite out shooting struggling Hawkesbury 54-45, Senators needed two third period goals to force overtime. Defenceman Joe Shecter on a powerplay and centre Ryan Collins with his fifth of the season got the visitors back on even terms. Winger Michael Evelyn, on a set-up from Collins, had the other regulation time goal for Ottawa in period two. Hawkesbury led 3-1 after 40 minutes with Yanik Laliberte counting in the first period while Brandon Bussey and Anthony Guaiani fired second period goals. Francis Landers and Carl Faucher each assisted twice for Hawks. In the shootout both teams sent six players to the line. Ottawa outscored Hawkesbury 2-1 to earn the bonus point. A first period tussle saw 11 penalties called including fighting majors and game misconducts to Senators’ Luc Deschamps and Derek Brown and Hawks’ Jesse Turrin and Ross Kovacs.

Kanata 4 – Cornwall 2: Three unanswered goals in the final frame allowed Kanata to overcome an early 2-0 deficit and double the listless Colts who have dropped five of their past seven encounters. Kanata meanwhile has won four of their last seven. Monday they stood second in the tight Yzerman standings. Sunday’s encounter at Ed Lumley Arena in Cornwall was an entertaining one with the teams sticking to hockey. There were just half a dozen minor penalties called, three to each team in a game which took only an hour and 57 minutes to play! The first period was scoreless but in the middle stanza Colts grabbed a 2-0 lead on goals by centre Nicholas Santoro and left winger Alexandre Gendron, his third in as many games. With 1:44 left in the period Stallions’ scoring leader Derian Plouffe made it close with his sixth of the campaign. In the third the visitors took charge. Devin Fullam tied it at the 3:27 mark and just over seven minutes Joe Breslin connected for the game winner. Plouffe’s second of the night went into the empty Cornwall cage with one tick left on the clock. Brandon Lane made 27 saves for the goaltending win while James Edwardson absorbed the loss, his first in three starts.     

Carleton Place 3 – Pembroke 2: Sunday night Canadians earned a split of their home and home series with Lumber Kings although each won on the other’s ice. The victory left Carleton Place (8-4) with 16 points, one fewer than Robinson Division leaders Smiths Falls who were idle Sunday. Pembroke led 2-1 after 20 minutes and the middle stanza was scoreless. The visitors tied it when talented left winger Kevin Dufour triggered his seventh of the season during a powerplay at 12:28 of the third period. Just two minutes, 28 seconds later it was winger Nick Erb firing the game winner, his first of the campaign. Dufour set up the game’s opening score by Brock Edwards early in the opening stanza. Pembroke replied with strikes by veteran Stephen Hrehoriak, his seventh and defenceman Philippe Drouin, his first, just a minute and a half apart to give the home team a temporary advantage. Hard working defenceman Michael Maciag had two assists for Carleton Place. Canadians outshot the home team 34-24 with Tony Kujava evening his record at 1-1 with the goaltending victory. Darren Smith made 31 saves but saw his record fall to 3-3 after six starts.

Kemptville 5 – Brockville 2: The 73’s are in the thick of the Robinson race after a solid home ice win over visiting Brockville Sunday night. Billy Cooper made 25 saves for the goaltending triumph and recent addition Brett Varrin continued his scoring run for Kemptville with two goals. Varrin, a 20-year-old right winger acquired in the four player swap involving Kemptville and Gloucester in late September, has four markers and seven points in five appearances for 73’s. The home team led 3-1 after 20 minutes and after Brockville moved close with the only goal of the middle stanza 73’s took charge, netting the only goals of the final frame. Right winger Kevin Valenti with his first, veteran defenceman Jesse Lussier with his second and winger Zach Lindsay with No. 2 on the campaign had the other goals for the winners. Lussier, Lindsay and Kemptville scoring leader Blaine Byron all had two point games. Braves’ ace Ben Blasko and team captain Chris Roll, during a second period powerplay, replied for Brockville who had a modest three game winning streak snapped. The win moved 73’s within one point of Braves in the Robinson standings.

Gloucester 5 – Cumberland 4 (OT): Two teams who are battling to join the leaders in the highly competitive Yzerman Division faced off in Navan Sunday afternoon. Rangers’ recent acquisition Matt Rosebrook connected for his sixth goal in as many games with just 18 seconds left in OT to give visiting Gloucester (5-7-0-1) the bonus point in a hard fought, comeback triumph. Rosebrook also set up a pair of markers while Stevie Ray Adams, who was also dealt to Rangers from Kemptville in the four player trade, scored his third goal and set up another. Adams moved to nine points since his arrival in Orleans in late September, the same total as Rosebrook. Grads (4-3-3-1) led 1-0 after 20 minutes and then outscored the visitors 3-1 in the second. They appeared to be headed for an important win. Gloucester turned the tables with three third period strikes including centre Christian Leger’s powerplay tally with 4:37 left in regulation that forced OT. Centres Keegan Rowe in the second period and Patrick White, early in period two, each connected for their third goals of the campaign for the winners. Veteran forward Eric Clitsome struck twice for Cumberland while Nick Martin and Travis Douglas had second period markers. Grads out shot Rangers 39-31 but were held at bay by Gunner Rivers who made 35 saves for his third win in seven decisions. The result left Gloucester just a point behind Cumberland and Nepean in the division. But Raiders held a big three games in hand and Cumberland two.   

Friday games

Smiths Falls 4 – Kemptville 3: A genuine hat trick in the third period by centre Chris Maniccia gave the first place Bears a deserved win over 73’s Friday in front of nearly 600 fans at Smiths Falls Memorial Centre. Maniccia triggered twice in 11 seconds in the last minute of regulation time. The tying goal came on a powerplay while Kemptville was a man short due to a minor penalty. The winner was an even strength strike with 37 seconds remaining.  Bears’ big line of Maniccia and wingers Michael Buonincontri and Yannick Crete continues to light it up! The trio combined for nine points with Buonincontri netting his team’s opening goal late in the second period after Kemptville had taken an improbable 3-0 lead. Veteran goalie Dylan BrindAmour made 41 saves to keep 73’s in the contest. Bears out chanced their opponents 45-24 including a 17-6 margin in the second period. The end result saw Buonincontri and Maniccia tied atop the CCHL scoring chart with 23 points apiece while Crete was deadlocked with Gloucester sniper Alexandre Boivin for second with 18 each. Stephen Cooney and Blaine Byron gave the visitors a 2-0 first period advantage with Luca Gonu making it 3-0 in the middle stanza. Byron also assisted twice for a three-point night. Bears topped the overall standings by three points at the end of play Friday!

Pembroke 4 – Carleton Place 2: Lumber Kings prevented Canadians from keeping pace with Robinson Division leading Smiths Falls, doubling the second place side in front of more than 350 Carleton Place faithful Friday. Pembroke went into the contest on a three game losing skid. It might have gone to four had it not been for the work of Kings’ net minder Darren Smith! He made 33 stops as Canadians held a 35-25 shots advantage. Smith was especially hot in the final frame when the hosts out shot Pembroke 13-8. It was Lumber Kings who scored the only goals of the final frame with veteran Stephen Hrehoriak firing the winner at 1:16. Less than six minutes later left winger Ryan Hunter scored his first of the campaign to give the visitors some insurance. Owen McDade and Ryan Erickson gave Kings an early 2-0 lead before Canadians’ centre Evan Peterson connected on a powerplay with 1:33 left in the first. The home team tied it during another man advantage situation with defenceman Larry Smith depositing his first of the season behind his Pembroke namesake. Carleton Place’s Tony Kujava started his first game in goal after finally shaking off a pre-season thigh injury. He made 21 stops in a losing cause.

Hawkesbury 2 – Nepean 1 (SO): The low flying Hawks surprised defending champions Nepean, recording just their third win of the campaign in the process. It was the second consecutive Friday night added time win for Hawkesbury on home ice and by the identical score. Raiders (5-3-0-1) remained fourth in the Yzerman standings while Hawks continued to trail the league despite the victory. It was a very evenly played game with Nepean holding a 45-44 shots advantage. Both regulation time goals came during powerplays. Veteran forward Brent Norris gave the visitors an early advantage in the first period with Shane Topf tying it late in the second. The third period and overtime were scoreless. In the shootout phase Hawks sent two players to the line with Stefano Momesso connecting. All three Nepean shooters came up empty. Winning goalie Carmine Guerriero and Nepean’s Matt Zawadzki were both kept busy. Raiders were an inefficient 1-7 on the powerplay.

Brockville 3 – Ottawa 2: Junior Senators five game winning streak was halted in Brockville Friday night. The contest appeared headed to overtime until Braves’ ace David Ferreira connected for his team leading sixth goal with only 48 seconds left. Ferreira’s dramatic winner came while Ottawa blueliner Owen Werthner was sitting out a hooking penalty. Brockville scoring leader Ben Blasko had a second period powerplay marker, on a set-up from Ferreira, while defenceman Zach Todd’s third of the campaign early in the second gave the home side a short-lived advantage. Todd also set up his team’s other two tallies to earn first star honours. Ryan Collins tied it for the visitors just past the midway mark of the third. Veteran Dylan Giberson scored the only goal of the first period for Ottawa who were out gunned 36-24 on the night. The win improved Brockville’s record to 5-4-0-1, good for fourth in the Robinson Division. Sens stayed first in the Yzerman despite falling to 7-3.

Gloucester 6 – Cornwall 3: Rangers moved closer to escaping the Yzerman Division cellar, surprising Colts at Earl Armstrong Arena in Orleans Friday. High scoring defenceman Andrew Rossy rang up a hat trick with all three markers coming during powerplay opportunities. The 18-year-old from Mont-Royal, Quebec moved to five goals and nine points in 10 appearances and was a deserving first star! Former Kemptville forward Matt Rosebrook has made a huge contribution in only five games since joining Rangers in a late September trade. The Carp native scored twice giving him five goals and six points for his new club. The teams were deadlocked 1-1 after 20 minutes but four second period tallies proved to be the difference for Gloucester (4-7-0-1). Rangers outshot Cornwall 45-31 with Colton Keuhl the other goal-getter. Cornwall (6-5) got a goal in each period with Khalid Alli, Sean King and Kevin Hope the scorers. Colts’ team leader Roman Ammirato set up a pair giving him 17 points including 13 assists in 11 games. He was tied for fifth on the league chart following Friday’s action.  

Earlier last week

Cornwall 3 – Cumberland 2 (OT): Right winger Michael Pontarelli fired the winner at 1:41 of overtime as Colts sent Grads to their second defeat in as many nights Thursday at Ed Lumley Arena in Cornwall. New recruit Pontarelli, an 18-year-old from Laval, Quebec connected during a powerplay opportunity. He also assisted on Colts’ regulation time markers which were both netted by line mate Alexandre Gendron. The other member of the trio, centre Roman Ammirato, took his team leading points total to 15 with a pair of assists. Cumberland was aided by a tremendous goaltending effort from rookie Reilly Turner. He kicked out 60 shots as Cornwall out chanced the visitors by a huge 63-40 margin. Grads led 2-1 going into the third period on the strength of a first period powerplay tally by Mark Golberg and second period strike by team scoring leader Nick Martin, his 10th of the campaign. Gendron’s second early in the third set up OT. Turner’s net minding work earned him third star honours.

Ottawa 3 – Gloucester 1: Crosstown rivals clashed at Jim Durrell Recreation Complex Wednesday and it was the surging Senators who scored two late goals to come away with their fifth consecutive triumph. In the process they regained top spot in the Yzerman Division. It was a well-played contest with Junior Sens out chancing Rangers 31-27. There were just eight minor penalties called in a fast paced contest which took just two hours, five minutes to play. Gloucester however failed to take advantage of six powerplay chances and that definitely hurt! Ottawa rookie left winger Greg Jansz had a big night. The 19-year-old from Bedford, Nova Scotia scored twice and he set up the insurance marker by Hunter Racine. Jansz’s game winner and Racine’s tally came just 18 seconds apart late in the third period. Team captain Alexandre Boivin was the only visitor to beat winning goalie Charlie Millen. Boivin’s second period tally moved him to 15 points including 10 assists, the fourth best total in the league.

Nepean 5 – Cumberland 4: The defending champion Raiders, who came out of the gate slowly this season, leapfrogged Grads in the Yzerman standings by winning their head-to-head meeting at Nepean Sportsplex Wednesday. The victory improved Raiders’ record to 5-3-0-1 while Cumberland dipped to 4-3-1-1. Third year player Keenan Hodgson fired his second goal of the campaign during a powerplay early in the third. His was the game winner! Brandon Watt’s empty netter with 11 seconds left in regulation wrapped up the two points for Nepean who also got single goals from Dalen Hedges, Vincent Llorca and Kenneth Neil. The teams were tied 1-1 after 20 minutes and Nepean led 3-2 heading into the final stanza. Grads’ sniper Nick Martin netted twice giving him nine goals and 13 points in just eight appearances. Rookie winger Travis Douglas made it close with his second of the season at 6:19 of the third. Veteran forward Zach Rodier set up two Cumberland goals. Winning goalie Matt Zawadzki evened his record at 4-4.     

Kanata 4 – Smiths Falls 3 (SO): The teams who battled to the wire for the final CCHL playoff spot last season went head-to-head Tuesday. Bears, who grabbed the eighth and final post season place ahead of Stallions in March, dropped their second game this season against Kanata. This one was decided in a shootout! Both teams have started the new campaign brightly and are challenging for the lead in their respective divisions. The single point awarded to Smiths Falls for reaching overtime, temporarily moved them atop the Robinson standings, one point ahead of near neighbours and arch rivals Carleton Place. Bears can thank league scoring leader Michael Buonincontri for the point! He netted twice, giving him 11 goals in as many games. His second came with 7:39 left in regulation and was enough to get the visitors into OT. The five minute period was scoreless and it was the home team who capitalized with the only goal of the shootout to earn their 13th point in 11 outings. Brandon Petrie triggered a pair of goals early in the third to give Kanata a 3-2 advantage. He also helped set up Derian Plouffe’s second period powerplay score. Connor McLaren had the only first period tally for Smiths Falls who were outshot 38-36 on the night. Petrie and Buonincontri were 1-2 in the three star balloting while Plouffe, who also assisted twice, was the third pick.

Following the Thanksgiving Day clash the CCHL schedule features 16 games from tomorrow (Tuesday) through Sunday!

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