The Wellington Dukes took on the Cobourg Cougars at Lehigh Arena in Wellington Friday night coming off back-to-back wins at the OJHL Governor’s Showcase earlier in the week.
Wellington appears to have turned a corner after struggling out of the gate coming into Friday’s game following a 2-0 win over the Toronto Patriots and a 2-1 win over the Toronto Junior Canadiens.
The Dukes opened the scoring early in the game, just over one minute into the first, when captain Emmet Pierce netted his fourth goal of the season off a rebound in tight.
The teams traded penalties in the first, both going to the power play two times, before Brodie McDougall scored with just under two minutes left in the frame to take a 2-0 Dukes lead.
Cobourg came out strong from the intermission and just 45 seconds into the second period cut into the lead with a solo goal from defenceman Micheal Palandra.
Minutes later the Dukes went to the power play when Cobourg forward Liam Filip was called for tripping and capitalized with the man up when Pierce netted his second of the game, restoring the two goal lead.
Five minutes after that the Cougars answered once again and narrowed the lead with a goal by forward Jayden Baldinelli to make it 3-2.
Later in the frame, with under two minutes to go, Dukes forward Jacob Vreugdenhil wheeled through the faceoff circle to the Cobourg goaltender’s right and sent a shot up high, off the bar and in for his third goal of the season, restoring the two goal lead.
Just one minute later, the Dukes jumped on a turnover as the Cougars went off for a line change and forward Jaxen Boyer, formerly of the Trenton Golden Hawks, was sent in alone on a breakaway that was saved by Cougars goalie Carter Tahk.
Boyer was hooked on the play and thus earned himself a penalty shot but Tahk stood tall once again.
Early in the third period the Dukes widened the gap as new addition David Campbell scored his first career OJHL goal.
The Cougars added a goal late in the period but the lead proved insurmountable and Wellington took their third straight win with a final score of 5-3.
Ethan Morrow stood tall in goal for the Dukes with 23 saves on the night including an impressive flash of the glove off a third chance rebound shot from the slot.
Wellington’s big line of Campbell, Vreugdenhil and Pierce shouldered the load Friday with three points each in the effort as they were firing on all cylinders.
The win improved Wellington’s record to 6-5-0-1 on the year and keeps them above last place Cobourg in the East Division standings.
Next up for the Dukes is a matinee against the Trenton Golden Hawks on Halloween which will be the second of eight games of the in-season derby-style Hasty Ps Cup.
The puck drops at Lehigh Arena on Sunday at 2:30 p.m.
