DUDLEY-HEWITT CUP
DHC MEDIA UPDATE
Release Date: Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Photo credit: Tim Bates/OJHL Images
Toronto dumps Dryden at Dudley-Hewitt Cup
FORT FRANCES, Ont. – Marcus Rose tallied twice and added an assist while Emanuel Vella stopped all 22 shots he faced to post the shutout as the Toronto Patriots dumped the Dryden GM Ice Dogs (SIJHL) 6-0 Wednesday afternoon in Game 3 of the Dudley-Hewitt Cup Central Canada Jr. A Championship at Ice for Kids Arena in Fort Frances.
A hard-hitting, fast-paced opening stanza saw it go scoreless with Toronto holding the edge in the shots on goal department by a 20-11 count.
Toronto would eventually open the goal parade near the midway point of the contest as Rose one-timed a Jeremy Pullara cross-ice feed underneath the outstretched pad of Dryden netminder Tate Sproxton.
Rose notched another two minutes later as he banged in his own rebound from in close during a Patriots man advantage at 9:58 of the second to put them up a pair through two periods of play.
The two-time defending Ontario Junior Hockey League champions added to their cushion 24 seconds into the final frame moments after a Dryden penalty had expired as Jacob Hayhurst slammed one in from the side of the crease.
The power play allowed the Patriots to extend their lead 5:41 into the third as Nicholas Geiser picked up his first of the tournament.
Toronto kept coming and potted their third extra man effort of the day with defenceman Niko Kovachis blasting one from the left face-off circle past Sproxton at 10:57.
Adding their fourth man advantage marker of the afternoon, the Patriots rounded out the scoring with 11 seconds to go courtesy of Geiser.
Hayhurst, Jeremy Pullara and Tyler Currie all chipped in with two assists apiece to aid Toronto’s offensive cause.
Player of the game honours went to Rose of the Patriots and the GM Ice Dogs Sproxton, who finished with 43 saves in defeat.
With the victory Toronto raises their record to 1-0-1 while Dryden falls to 0-2.
Next up in the round robin schedule sees the Soo Thunderbirds (NOJHL) (1-0-0) taking on the host Fort Frances Lakers (SIJHL) (1-0-0) tonight at 7:30 p.m. Central/8:30 p.m. Eastern.
The winner there will be guaranteed at least a berth in the semifinal later in the week.
Live scoring and tournament information can be found on the Dudley-Hewitt Cup website at www.centralcanadianchampionship.com.
Dudley-Hewitt Cup
April 28 – May 2
Ice for Kids Arena
Fort Frances, Ont.
Competing teams
HOST: Fort Frances Lakers (Bill Salonen Cup champion)
SIJHL: Dryden GM Ice Dogs (Bill Salonen Cup finalist)
NOJHL: Soo Thunderbirds (Copeland Cup – McNamara Trophy champion)
OJHL: Toronto Patriots (Buckland Cup champion)
Schedule/Results (All start times Central Standard Time)
Tuesday, April 28
Soo 8 Dryden 1
Fort Frances 2 Toronto 1 (OT)
Wednesday, April 29
Toronto 6 Dryden 0
Fort Frances vs. Soo 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, April 30
Soo vs. Toronto 2 p.m.
Dryden vs. Fort Frances 7:30 p.m.
Friday, May 1
Semifinal: 2nd Round Robin vs. 3rd Round Robin 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 2
Final: 1st Round Robin vs. Semifinal Winner 7:30 p.m.
DHC champion advances to RBC Cup May 9-17 in Portage la Prairie, Man.
