Perth opens up four-point lead in Valley with OT loss to league leading Gatineau
Posted Nov 26, 2009 By Jeff Maguire
Email
Print
Tweet ThisEMC Sports - Gatineau Mustangs have been nearly unbeatable this season in the Eastern Ontario Junior Hockey League (EOJHL). But Valley Division-leading Perth Blue Wings gave them a major scare Sunday afternoon!
Wings were edged 6-5 in overtime by Gatineau, the same team who had demolished Perth's division rival Almonte Thunder 10-3 less than 24 hours earlier. The Buckingham, Quebec based Mustangs are now an impressive 21-3-1 and lead the entire four-division, 22-team league in points with 43.
Defending league champion Ottawa West Golden Knights are nine points back after their win over Metcalfe Jets Sunday.
For Perth Sunday's thriller was their second overtime game in as many starts on home ice this past weekend. Friday they edged second place Arnprior Packers 4-3 in the extra session. The point gained for losing in OT Sunday gave Blue Wings a four-point edge on idle Arnprior. Perth also has a game in hand on their closest rival.
Guillaume Saumure's 21st goal of the season won it for Gatineau just 30 seconds into the mandatory five-minute overtime at Perth and District Community Centre.
Brett Lewandowsky's second goal of the game, early in the third, tied the contest and forced the extra period.
Patrick Leveille scored his league leading 27th for Gatineau while Justin Langlois-Beeby netted his 15th. Patrick Saumure had a pair of assists to move him into a tie with teammate Langlois-Beeby atop the Metro scoring chart with 44 points apiece.
Blue Wings also got a pair of goals from Shawn McGillivray while Blair Barr had the other. Perth out shot the visitors 32-27 but were stymied by the work of veteran Mustangs' net minder Israel Bernier-Dion who made 27 stops.
Gatineau led 2-0 after one period but a four goal uprising by the home team in period two saw the clubs go to their dressing rooms tied 4-4.
Troy Anderson played the first two periods in goal for Perth but was replaced by Jeremy Wright after giving up the fifth Gatineau goal just 58 seconds into period three.
Referee Ryan Gregory called just seven minor penalties all afternoon but the visitors made the best of their powerplay opportunities scoring twice on four chances.
Perth kept arch-rival Arnprior at bay with a 4-3 overtime triumph on home ice Friday.
WINGS WIN IN OT
Lewandowsky was the overtime hero for Perth Friday, connecting on a powerplay at 1:50 of the mandatory five-minute, sudden death period to win it. The teams were deadlocked 1-1 after one period and the home team scored the only two markers of period two. Packers rallied with two unanswered in an unfriendly third period in which 15 penalties were called and three players (two from Perth) were ejected for fighting.
Andrew Higgins sixth goal made it close and with just 32 seconds remaining and goalie Christopher Stack on the bench in favour of a sixth attacker, Drake Clancy forced OT with his fifth of the campaign and second of the night.
Nick Held with his 14th, Anthony McVeigh with his first and Peter McGahey had the others for the winning Wings. Zach MacMillan and Josh MacMillan were the Perth players turfed for fighting while Adam Cybulski took an early shower for Arnprior.
Sunday night Shawville moved even in points with Almonte Thunder in the standings by belting the slumping Almonte side 8-4. They led 3-0 after one and were ahead 5-0 before Almonte responded with second period goals by Tanner Knight along with Craig Vaillancourt's first of two. Pontiacs led 7-2 after 40 minutes.
Jimmy MacMillan led the Shawville offence with a hat trick. Vaillancourt, with his fourth of the campaign, and Steve Miller with his third counted for the fast fading Thunder who dropped their ninth game in 11 starts.
Pontiacs out shot the visitors 63-40 as the leaky Almonte defence gave up more than 60 shots for the second straight night. Billy Stone was the winning goalie while overworked Brandan Fox turned aside 55 in a losing cause for Thunder.
High flying Gatineau put another notch in their belt Saturday at the expense of Almonte. Mustangs won 10-3 at Almonte and District Community Centre, out shooting Thunder 64-48 in a game that certainly wasn't short on offence.
Mustangs, leaders in the entire four-division, 22-team league scored three unanswered in the first against the underdog Almonte team who are struggling but remain in the thick of the battle for playoff places in the six-team Valley loop.
Thunder struck twice in less than a minute early in the second to close the gap. The visitors then came up with three straight to lead 6-2 after 40 minutes. They out scored Almonte 4-1 in the final stanza.
Gabriel Carle led the way with four goals, giving him eight on the campaign. Veteran forward Leveille scored his EOJHL leading 26th goal for Gatineau. Langlois-Beeby, a former Shawville Pontiac, led the league with 42 points following Saturday's game. He netted his 14th and Saumure fired his 20th.
Almonte got singles from leading scorer Josh Shanbaum (No. 12), Connor Scanlan and Matt Lafleur.
It was a tough week for Stittsville Royals too! They were beaten three times including Sunday afternoon's 7-2 loss to visiting Renfrew Timberwolves at Goulbourn Recreation Complex (GRC).
TIGHT PACK
Royals (8-13-0-1) remain third in the tight Valley race with 17 points, one more than Renfrew and two up on Shawville and Almonte who are tied at the bottom of the tight pack.
At Stittsville Sunday, Royals led 1-0 after 20 minutes on Michael Byrne's 10th of the season.
In the second Renfrew took charge of the penalty-filled contest, scoring three times including a pair by veteran forward Eric Mask. Steve Genier replied for Stittsville.
Wolves dominated the penalty-dominated third, scoring four unanswered including two by Kirk Skebo. He also set up the game's final goal by Jordan Welk.
Renfrew out shot Stittsville by a huge 51-32 margin with Mike Rosebrook the winning goalie.
Referee Jay Shaw had his hands full in the unfriendly contest calling a total of 56 penalties. Three players from each side were ejected for fighting in a game.
Renfrew made the best of 13 powerplay opportunities scoring three times, while Stittsville was 0-7.
Royals were bested 4-1 by Metcalfe Jets of the Metro Division on the road Friday. The win by Metcalfe, the last place side in the Metro, was led by goalie Eric Goneau who turned aside 46 shots as the visitors out shot the home side 47-30.
Jets were up 2-1 after one period and the second was scoreless. Scott Lough put it away with two goals in the final frame. Mark Zavitske had the only Stittsville tally midway through the first.
Last Thursday night Stittsville tangled with defending league champion Ottawa West Golden Knights. The visiting Royals were hammered 11-3 at Barbara Ann Scott Arena as Metro clubs continue to run rough shod over their Valley counterparts this season.
The one sided romp marked the 32nd triumph for a Metro Division team in 39 interlocking matches.
Knights, who are battling cross-town rival Ottawa Junior Canadians for second place in the five-team Metro loop, led just 2-1 after one period. But in the second they out scored the visitors 5-2 and then added four unanswered in the third to win easily.
Scott Cowie had three goals and three assists to lead the home team. Cowie now has a dozen goals on the campaign. Veteran forward Adam Skube had two goals for Ottawa West.
Stittsville got a pair from Dave Borden, giving him seven markers, with Anthony Kell scoring the other.
Knights out shot Royals 39-21 with Moir making 28 saves in a losing cause for Stittsville.
Thursday Stittsville hosts Clarence Creek Beavers of the Metro at 7:30. Friday night Ottawa Junior Canadians will give Blue Wings a challenge when they travel to Perth for a 7:45 face-off. The same night Arnprior and Renfrew continue their county rivalry at Renfrew Arena, while Shawville entertains Metcalfe Jets in interlocking play. Both games are 8 o'clock starts.
Saturday night Pontiacs will be in Almonte for an 8:20 p.m. puck drop. Sunday afternoon Renfrew is in Metcalfe and Almonte travels to Clarence Creek. Both games feature 2:15 face-offs. Arnprior will be in Stittsville for a 2:30 contest at GRC.
