By Jeff Maguire
Despite dealing with serious adversity recently Smiths Falls Bears have tested their depth and found they are good enough to win even without some of their best players.
In a battle of division leaders Sunday afternoon, Bears ran roughshod over Kanata Stallions 7-2. Monday morning they held a three point lead over Pembroke Lumber Kings and a four point edge on Robinson Division rival Carleton Place Canadians in the overall standings in the Central Canada Hockey League (CCHL).
Red-hot Pembroke won their eighth game in nine starts Sunday night, downing Yzerman Division rival Gloucester Rangers 5-1 in front of more than 900 fans at Pembroke Memorial Centre. In the process they hopscotched past Kanata and into sole possession of top spot in their division.
Earlier in the day Carleton Place doubled visiting Brockville Braves 4-2 to keep pace with arch rival Smiths Falls. It was Canadians’ third straight win and they also hold a game in hand on both Bears and Lumber Kings.
At the other end of the CCHL table Cumberland Grads completely dominated slumping Kemptville 73’s in a meeting of last place sides. Grads peppered two Kemptville net minders with more than 60 shots on their way to a one-sided 8-4 decision. The rebuilding 73’s have now lost eight of their last 10 starts.
Perhaps the biggest surprise Sunday was Hawkesbury Hawks’ shutout victory against defending CCHL champion Nepean Raiders. Hawks won 3-0 at Nepean Sportsplex behind Carmine Guerriero’s 32 saves.
League leading Smiths Falls has won six of their last seven games despite a rash of serious injuries.
The most serious is a fractured ankle suffered recently by then team goal scoring leader Michael Buonincontri. The 18-year-old left winger underwent successful surgery in his native Montreal and is lost for at least four months. Buonincontri had triggered 14 goals and added 12 assists in 17 games at the time of the injury.
“Michael is gone for four months anyway and we’re very concerned he might not be back this season,” Bears’ head coach Mark Grady said Monday.
Grady is worried that third year winger Cole Allard could also be lost for the duration of the CCHL campaign. The 17-year-old from Petawawa suffered a dislocated shoulder when he lost his balance and crashed into the boards during Bears’ win at Brockville Friday night.
“It is his second dislocation of the same shoulder in a few months and he will likely need surgery,” Grady explains. “So it looks like Cole will be out for a long time too.
“We could be missing six guys for our next game – six good players,” the coach laments.
Concussions
Rookie right winger Ryan Eardley suffered an apparent concussion during Sunday’s win over Kanata. He joins centre Nic Marchand who is now in his second week out of the line-up with the same complaint.
“Concussions are unpredictable. You never know how long they (players) will miss. We hope to have Marchand back soon, but who knows,” Grady outlines.
The 17-year-old from Ayr, Ontario had 10 goals and 7 assists at the time of his injury. Allard had scored once and set up five in 19 appearances.
“Everyone has injuries, so I don’t want to whine about it. But six starters is a lot,” Bears’ coach notes.
“Junior B teams play on the weekend so it is hard to find replacements. You can’t ask a kid to play a game in the afternoon and another one at night,” Grady observes.
The veteran hockey man is particularly disturbed about head hits.
“We’ve had three guys out with concussions lately and all three were the result of head hits.”
He would like to see the league take an even tougher approach to head hits.
“This (concussions) is a big issue in hockey today.”
Fortunately for Grady and Bears, other players have stepped into the breach and are playing very well at present. Chief among them is centre Chris Maniccia.
“He was cut from the Team East camp last week. Chris returned to us Friday and he had 11 points in two games (including six Sunday afternoon),” his coach observes.
Maniccia’s big weekend moved him into sole possession of the CCHL scoring lead with 41 points in 22 appearances.
Smiths Falls has three players among the top six scorers in the league. Left winger Yannick Crete is fourth with 31 points while four-year CCHL veteran Connor McLaren stands sixth with 27 points.
Veteran defenceman Tyler Akeson is the top scoring defenceman in the league with 24 points including 21 assists. Akeson is among four CCHL players tied for 14th in the scoring parade following weekend action.
Quieter week
It was a lighter week in the CCHL with a dozen games played. But as is usually the case in the league, there were some highly competitive contests!
League leaders Smiths Falls continue to light it up! Sunday afternoon they faced Yzerman Division leading Kanata and came away with a one-sided victory that resulted in Stallions falling from the top rung in their division.
Smiths Falls 7 – Kanata 2: Two unanswered goals in the first, two more early in the second period and three during a 10-minute span of the final frame gave Bears their sixth win in seven starts. Smiths Falls (16-6-0-1) was led by centre Chris Maniccia who had a big six-point afternoon on home ice including four assists. Maniccia, an 18-year-old from St. Catharines, has charged past Nepean’s Dalen Hedges to take over the CCHL scoring lead. Line mate Yannick Crete scored twice and set up a pair. Tyler Akeson, the top scoring blueliner in the CCHL, had a powerplay goal, his third and he added two assists. Patrick Sexton and Karson McCartney had the other goals for the winners. Kanata scoring leader Derian Plouffe, on a powerplay and veteran winger Brandon Petrie replied for Kanata. Bears outshot Stallions 31-25 with Jimmy Howe the winning goalie and Brandon Lane suffering the loss. Bears were an impressive four for seven on the powerplay. A third period fracas ended with Stallions’ defenceman Niles Owe and Bears’ winger Brett Costello ejected for fighting. They will miss their team’s next games because the fisticuffs erupted during the final 10 minutes of play.
Pembroke 5 – Gloucester 1: Lumber Kings ended Rangers brief two game winning streak with a comprehensive victory on home ice Sunday night. As a result Pembroke slipped past Kanata, who lost at Smiths Falls earlier in the day, to take over first place in the see-saw battle in the Yzerman Division. Pembroke (14-7-1-1) outshot the visitors 42-31 and they knocked Gloucester starting goaltender Gianmarco De Meis out of the game with their fourth straight goal early in the second period. Kings’ newcomer Ryan Erickson continued his strong play of late with a pair of tallies. He had four points in two weekend games. Brian Hennessey led the attack with a goal and two assists while defenceman Keegan Harper set up three to move to 19 points in 23 games. Charlie Connell and Emilio Audi on a second period powerplay had the other Pembroke markers. Gloucester ace Matt Rosebrook had a second period powerplay strike giving him 13 goals and 19 points in 17 games. He joined Rangers in a late September trade with Kemptville. Andy Munroe kicked out 30 shots for the goaltending win. De Meis replacement Gunner Rivers stopped all but one of the 24 shots he saw in nearly 36 minutes of work.
Carleton Place 4 – Brockville 2: The third best team in the league to date is Carleton Place. Sunday afternoon they kept pace with division rival and league leaders Smiths Falls, doubling visiting Brockville for their third straight win. Canadians have the best road record in the league but they have struggled at home. The win over Braves improved their home ice mark to 4-4-1-0. Heading into this week’s action Carleton Place was in a points tie with Kanata in the overall standings with 29 points from 22 games. However they hold three games in hand on Stallions. Playing in front of more than 450 partisan fans Sunday, Carleton Place overcame a 2-1 first period deficit, scoring the final three goals. The winning and insurance markers came in a span of just under three minutes late in regulation. Canadians outshot Brockville 28-25. Defenceman Kelly Summers led the offence with a goal and two assists. Brock Edwards had the game winner and he set up Anthony McVeigh’s insurance marker with 3:24 left in the third. Evan Peterson fired the other Carleton Place goal during a first period powerplay. Brockville scoring leader Ben Blasko moved to an even 30 points scoring his 11th goal during a first period powerplay and setting up David Ferreira’s game opening strike. With the loss the fourth place Braves fell 10 points behind the second place Canadians in the Robinson Division race.
Hawkesbury 3 – Nepean 0: Hawks surprised defending league champion Nepean for the second time in three meetings this season, with Carmine Guerriero the hero. The veteran puck stopper turned aside all 32 shots he faced at Nepean Sportsplex Sunday afternoon to earn his first shutout of the campaign. Robinson Division Hawkesbury continues to have the second lowest points total in the CCHL while Nepean is just three points behind leaders Pembroke in the Yzerman Division. But in their head-to-head meetings Hawks have earned five of a possible six points. Their only loss to Raiders to date was an overtime setback in the league opener for both teams Sept. 8 during the season opening CCHL Showcase in Kanata. Sunday the visitors got a goal in each period with winger Zac Carr’s second of the season, at 12:48 of the opening period, the eventual game winner. Antonio Roumeliotis made it 2-0 late in the second while Shane Topf rounded out scoring with a powerplay strike at 15:39 of the final frame. This was a very unfriendly affair with 29 penalties called including three fighting majors handed the home team and four to the visitors. The game boiled over with 32 seconds to play when two separate fights led to a dozen penalties and four ejections. The players involved will miss their team’s next games. Roumeliotis picked up two fighting majors which could lead to further league disciplinary action. The teams meet again Nov. 30 in Hawkesbury.
Cumberland 8 – Kemptville 4: Grads took advantage of their home date with slumping Kemptville, totally dominating the 73’s in a meeting of last place teams. Cumberland outshot the visitors by a huge 62-22 margin. If it hadn’t been for the work of Jacob Tugnutt, who relieved starting goalie Billy Cooper late in the first period, it might have been a total rout. Tugnutt turned aside 41 of the 44 shots he faced in just over 43 minutes of action. Grads, who moved within four points of fifth place Gloucester in the Yzerman loop, scored five times in 11 minutes in the opening stanza to take charge. They added three more in the second to lead 8-3 after 40 minutes. Tugnutt stopped all 18 shots he faced in the third to prevent Grads from reaching double figures. Seven different players scored for the winners with veteran centre Eric Clitsome leading the way with two goals and four assists. Clitsome moved into a tie with Nick Martin for the team scoring lead with 24 points. Martin had four assists. Justin Pelock netted once and set up three while Zach Rodier and Trevor Packard had a goal and two assists each. Grads rang up 23 scoring points and they were three for nine with the man advantage. Right winger Jake Butler led 73’s with a goal and an assist. Not surprisingly, with the game out of reach, tempers boiled over on the Kemptville side. The visitors were assessed 93 minutes in penalties while Cumberland picked up 62 minutes. Kemptville had four players banished, three for fighting while Grads picked up two fighting majors among a dozen infractions.
Leaders win Friday
There were five games played Friday night with the table toppers in the Robinson Division, Smiths Falls and Carleton Place, both winning.
In the Yzerman Division vastly improved Kanata took over temporary possession of top spot with Pembroke also winning to move within a point of the division lead.
Smiths Falls 6 – Brockville 5: Bears are getting used to life without scoring ace Michael Buonincontri. At Brockville Memorial Centre it was centre Chris Maniccia, the club’s scoring leader, moving into a tie with Buonincontri for the team goal lead with 14. Maniccia fired a hat trick and added two assists to lead the visitors to their fifth win in six starts. In the process he moved to 35 points, one behind CCHL scoring leader Dalen Hedges of Nepean whose team was idle Friday. Maniccia scored twice early in the third to give Bears a 6-2 lead. The home team roared back with three goals in 10 minutes and fell just short. Brockville outshot Smiths Falls 35-27 but was foiled by red-hot goalie Patrick Martin who turned in another fine effort for Bears. Defenceman Tyler Akeson, just back from the Team East training camp, had a goal and two assists with forward Yannick Crete contributing three helpers for the league leaders. Zach Todd, who moved a point behind Akeson (they are the highest scoring blueliners in the league), had a goal and three assists for Brockville. Braves’ scoring leader Ben Blasko, Cory Wilson and Taylor Henry had a goal and an assist each in a losing cause. Tempers flared in the third period with Bears’ defenceman Patrick Sexton and Braves’ rearguard Ryan Walter ejected for fighting.
Carleton Place 3 – Cumberland 1: For the second straight game Canadians and Grads tangled in Navan and for a second straight game Carleton Place came away with a two goal victory. In an oddity in the long CCHL schedule the clubs played back-to-back games in the same arena. The previous Sunday afternoon Canadians doubled Grads 4-2. This time around they dominated in a fast contest which featured just nine minor penalties and was played in one hour, 58 minutes. Devan Tremblay kept his side in the contest with a 32 save performance for Cumberland who were outshot 35-21. With the win Canadians stayed four points behind Robinson leaders Smiths Falls. The first period was scoreless but centre Alex Globke netted his ninth of the campaign for the visitors midway through the second. Three and a half minutes later it was centre Matthew Morin equalizing for Grads. Then, with 1:36 left in the middle frame, Alex Frere triggered his fifth during a Carleton Place powerplay and that was the winner. Despite a 12 save effort by Tremblay the visitors wrapped it up in the third period. Luke Kasteel rang up his fourth of the campaign at 8:43. Back-up goalie Justin Laforest, making his fifth start for Carleton Place, turned aside 20 shots to improve his record to 4-2. Globke, with one tally and two assists, was the first star. Kasteel, with a goal and a helper, was No. 2 on the list.
Kanata 4 – Hawkesbury 3 (SO): Stallions continue to show good form in the early going this season. In fact they vaulted into sole possession of first place in the very close Yzerman Division on the strength of a shootout triumph in Hawkesbury. Hawks have struggled overall but they are competitive at home, especially on Friday nights. They went into the contest with five wins in seven Friday games at Robert Hartley Arena. Hawks might have won this one too except for a late rally by the visitors which produced two goals in the final eight minutes of play. Hawkesbury led 3-1 until Fabian Walsh netted his seventh for Kanata at the 11:52 mark. Then, with goalie Brandon Lane on the bench in favour of a sixth attacker, left winger Joe Breslin scored unassisted with 1:26 left in regulation to force overtime. The five minute extra period was scoreless. Two of the three Stallions who went to the line scored in the shootout phase to secure the bonus point. Hawks came up empty on two free shots. Cameron Blakely triggered a first period goal for Kanata. Antonios Roumeliotis led the home team with a goal and an assist while Mathieu Galipeau and Carl Faucher had the others. Ex-Stallion Brandon Bussey took his team leading points total to 22 for Hawks with a pair of assists. Kanata outshot Hawkesbury 33-31 with Carmine Guerriero the losing net minder.
Pembroke 3 – Kemptville 0: The visiting Lumber Kings deepened the hole Kemptville is digging for themselves, blanking 73’s and sending them to their eighth setback in 10 games. Pembroke finished the night a point behind Yzerman leaders Kanata. Kemptville (5-13-0-2) is in the Robinson Division basement with the worst record in the league. They ended the night three points adrift of Hawkesbury. The 73’s played with Pembroke territorially and they finished the game with a 25-24 advantage in shots on goal. But they couldn’t beat Kings’ net minder Andy Munroe. Munroe, an 18-year-old native of Keswick, Ontario recorded his second shutout of the campaign, improving his record to 7-4 after 11 starts. He was an easy pick for first star! Rookie defenceman Charlie Connell netted what proved to be the game winner during a powerplay at 12:01 of the opening period. It was Connell’s first goal in a Pembroke uniform. Centre Owen McDade rubberstamped the win with goals in each of the second and third periods. McDade moved to six goals on the campaign. Right winger Ryan Erickson set up a pair of goals giving him three points in 11 appearances. Billy Cooper was the losing goaltender. Kemptville took eight of the game’s 14 minor penalties.
Gloucester 2 – Ottawa 1: Two first period goals and outstanding goaltending by Gunner Rivers were enough to give the improving Rangers their second 2-1 win in a row on home ice Friday. They edged Cornwall by the same score in overtime Oct. 28. Gloucester (10-11-0-2) solidified their hold on eighth place in the league moving to 22 points, just five behind Ottawa and Nepean. Two losses in a row were enough to peg the previously hot Junior Senators back to fourth place in the extremely close Yzerman Division race. Rivers’ net minding heroics were the main factor in this one! He kicked out 30 pucks as the visitors held a big 31-18 shots advantage and dominated territorially. The 17-year-old Ottawa native failed to make the three star selection at the end however! Matt Rosebrook’s first period powerplay goal helped him earn first star honours. Centre Patrick White netted shorthanded with 4:50 left in the opening stanza and his was the game winner. Ben Robillard took over Sens’ scoring lead with a second period powerplay strike. He moved to a team high nine goals and 23 points in 18 starts. Ottawa goalie Charlie Millen turned aside 16 shots and saw his record dip to 7-5. It was another quick game, finishing in an hour and 55 minutes. The fact just seven penalties were whistled all night (four went to Rangers) contributed to the rapid progress of the contest.
Early week games
Cornwall 3 – Nepean 1: Colts cooled the previously red-hot Raiders with a strong performance at home Thursday. Last season’s finalists have now met three times in the current campaign with Cornwall winning all three encounters. Nepean went into the contest on a four game winning streak. The victory moved Colts into a points tie for second place in the Robinson Division with Carleton Place. Canadians had played two less games however. Raiders remained in a three-way points tie atop the Yzerman loop. Michael Pontarelli was the hero for the home team! The 18-year-old winger from Laval, Quebec scored twice and set up the other Cornwall marker which was triggered by team scoring leader Roman Ammirato during a first period powerplay. Ammirato moved to 25 points while Pontarelli, who scored midway through the second and late in the final frame, jumped to 19 points including a team high eight goals. Rookie forward Wyatt Coghill, with his fourth of the campaign, ruined Jordan Piccolino’s shutout bid at 11:07 of the third period. Cornwall outshot Nepean 38-33. Raiders’ special teams let them down in this one! They yielded the only powerplay goal. But the most telling statistic was that Nepean went 0-9 with the man advantage as Cornwall was assessed nine of the game’s 13 minor penalties.
Kanata 4 – Brockville 2: Braves held the territorial advantage in Tuesday’s contest in Kanata. They also had a 2-0 lead early in the second period. But as he does so often, Stallions’ goalie Brandon Lane tipped the scales in Kanata’s direction. The 20-year-old Oakville, Ontario native blocked 39 shots as the visitors held a 41-32 advantage in that department. Lane’s effort earned him second star honours. Derian Plouffe scored twice to pace the winners. Plouffe improved his team leading points total to 31 including 15 goals. He stood second on the CCHL chart after the game. Braves’ rookie Aaron Hickie opened his CCHL account with the only first period goal and it came in his hometown. Hickie, 17, is a Kanata native. All of the remaining tallies came during a hectic second period. Centre David Ferreira gave Braves a two goal advantage 42 seconds into the middle stanza during a powerplay. Stallions rallied, scoring four unanswered in a span of 9:22. Plouffe netted the first goal and he also fired the fourth and final marker during a man advantage situation at the 12:59 mark. In between Nic LaBurn tied it and dependable Joe Breslin triggered the winner, his eighth. Lane (10-8 after 20 starts) contributed 13 saves during the decisive second period. The final frame was scoreless as Kanata moved into a points tie with Nepean and Ottawa in the competitive Yzerman Division.
There is a busier week ahead with 14 games on the CCHL slate from 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
