Shamrox even up series
Clarington shuts down Jr. C Lakers offence for a 9-3 victory to even up series at 1-1
Two games, two very different results.
After being blown out on home floor in their first loss of the season Wednesday, the Clarington Shamrox turned the tables Friday night on the host Peterborough MinCom Kawartha Lakes Realty Jr. C Lakers.
The Shamrox came into the Memorial Centre and shut down the Lakers offence while rediscovering their own in a 9-3 win to even the best-of-five OJCLL East Division final 1-1. Game 3 is 8 p.m. Sunday in Bowmanville. Game 4 is 8 p.m. Monday at the PMC.
Clarington limited the Lakers to a goal in each period and won the loose ball battles in a landslide.
“If we battle, play hard and work on loose balls and compete and we lose, I’m OK with that,” said Lakers’ coach Dave Baker. “But that wasn’t a good game on our part, offensively and defensively. Right from the start we didn’t win a loose ball. Our offence
When Toronto city council recently rescinded an antiquated and unpopular bylaw banning youth from playing games like hockey and basketball on city streets, they finally came in line with most of Canada.
Road or street hockey is as Canadian as three-down football, beaver tails, toques and cats on leashes.
There is no accurate historic reference for the beginning of true road hockey. The first reference to asphalt paved streets in Canada was in Edmonton in 1925. A work project started in the depression years of the 1930s brought asphalt to other Canadian cities. Likely, the evening after that first neighbourhood street was paved in Peterborough, if it had a street light, a road hockey game was played.
Today’s street hockey, with its fancy nets and special pads is just a commercialized version of the original road hockey. was as flat as it’s been in a month or two. Give credit to Clarington’s defence, absolutely, and their want, but we should expect that. I’ve said all along I expect a five-game series.”
Clarington got a jump on Peterborough with a pair of goals 1:02 apart. Liam Osborne got it started on a set-up from Brady Kearnan and Jacob Kelly. Rylee McKinnon got the second coming out of the penalty box to run over Peterborough’s Adam Churchill and take the loose ball in and beat goalie Drew Hutchison at 4:50.
“We were a little high in game one, we were undefeated all season,” said McKinnon, who played seven games for the Peterborough Petes. “It was good we lost because it brought everyone back down to ground. We came out flying tonight. We knew we had to win.”
McKinnon said they played with desperation.
“It’s three-out-of-five and it’s tough to come back from being down 0-2. Coming into Peterborough, they have great fans and it’s a tough barn to play in. I think everyone knew we had to grind it out and we did,” he said.
The Lakers got on the board 10:25 into the game as Colin Brown capped a three-way passing play from Colton Armstrong
True road hockey likely came soon after the end of World War II. Wooden hockey sticks became available, family units were being reestablished, there was little money for other forms of entertainment and the few paved streets in the various neighbourhood had few parked cars and little traffic.
The joy of original road hockey was that it always had a touch of illegality to it. It was frowned upon by police, most parents, some neighbours and city officials but not too vociferously or with a bylaw.
Parents would warn of the dangers of playing on the streets knowing well that it was ignored like most warnings they handed out. Most kids had more than a modicum of common sense about dangerous activities and if they didn’t they soon learned from their peers.
In those bygone days, the ideal road hockey site was on a relatively quiet street with curbs, a good street light, no parked cars, little traffic and at least one miserable resident. True road hockey was played in the fall and winter. and Churchill on a power play. The period ended with Clarington scoring with no time left on the clock. Trevor Kennedy took a shot the officials ruled was released before the buzzer went giving Clarington a 3-1 lead.
The Lakers got into penalty trouble with consecutive high sticking penalties and Clarington capitalized on the five-onthree advantage. Brayden McGregor got the goal and Kennedy stretched the lead to 5-1 with 7:10 left in the second. The Lakers ended a scoring drought of nearly 24 minutes when Matt Currie buried Churchill’s pass on a transition play started by Hutchison’s pass. The Shamrox tallied again on McGregor’s second of the period with 2:12 left taking a 6-2 lead to intermission.
For the third consecutive period Clarington scored first with Matt Holiday bumping the lead to 7-2 at 3:03. Travis Ferguson replied for Peterborough 2:02 later. Osborne and Kelly rounded out the scoring.
Lakers defender Trent Larock said it’s possible his team got overconfident with their oneside win Wednesday.
“We were less intense than we needed to be,” Larock said. “Clarington came out hot and wanted to show us what they were made It peaked when the streets had a snow covering and snow banks were high and firm enough along the boulevards to keep the taped tennis ball in play.
Games were best with three or four on each team. The youngest were usually assigned to the net made of two piles of snow or leaves in the fall. Their main duties were to call “car” and chase the balls that went past the net. Stopping the shots was not really an expectation.
The biggest annoyance was that showoff teenager, driving around with his girlfriend in his father’s car who delighted in driving over both sets of goal posts then blowing the car horn in defiance to the profanities directed his way.
Police were rarely a problem. If called by a neighbour or one passed by he would often turn on the roof light for emphasis, then tell the players there was a complaint and suggest we move the game up to the next street light.
Obviously, society has changed drastically since those days, but some lessons can be learned from the past. of. I guess we were just a little too cocky. Our mentality was that we were going to come in and walk all over them. That’s not going to be the case. There are going to be more than three games and it’s going to be a battle every night.”
NOTES: Dan Brown played his first game after returning from a job on the east coast, said coach Dave Baker. Intermediate callup Rhys Sands was scratched to make room. Baker said forward Matt Smith’s season is over after recent back surgery... Drew Hutchison was the Brickhouse player of the game.
Matt Currie (1-1), Colin Brown (1-0), Travis Ferguson (1-0), Adam Churchill (0-3), Colton Armstrong (0-1), Drew Hutchison (0-1).
Shamrox scorers:
Liam Osborne (2-3), Trevor Kennedy (2-1), Brayden McGregor (2-1), Jacob Kelly (1-2), Matt Holiday (1-1), Rylee McKinnon (1-1), Brady Kearnan (0-4), Braden Gray (0-1), Aaron Woods (0-1).
The best of five OJCLL East Division final is tied 1-1. Game 3 is at 8 p.m. Sunday in Bowmanville. Game 4 is at 8 p.m. Monday at the Memorial Centre.
Series:
Today kids seem overscheduled. Street games give one of the few opportunities kids have for unstructured play and yet be within that bubble today’s norms demand parents have around their kids. Tom Jacobs wrote in the May 2014 issue of magazine, “Free play allows children to develop the flexibility needed to adapt to changing circumstances and environments – an ability that comes in very handy when life becomes unpredictable as adults.”
Street hockey affords that opportunity. Kids need to learn the inherent dangers of such activities but experience the freedom to organize, control and manipulate the activity in their own way without the influence of hovering adults. And no smart phone apps are required!
The Memorial Centre may start selling a different brand of beer to sports fans by the end of summer.
Although the city-owned arena has served Molson and Coors for more than 10 years now – since the arena was renovated – city staff is recommending a switch to Labatt.
The Molson/Coors contract with the city expires Aug. 31.
When city staff asked for bids, only Molsons/Coors and Labatt offered submissions.
A new staff report says Labatt scored higher on criteria such as pricing and marketing plan.
The revenues are expected to be $375,000 over the five-year term of the contract.
The staff report also says Labatt has promised to lease a private suite at the Memorial Centre annually, for the duration of the contract.
Labatt is also willing to spend $10,000 annually to advertise its product in the Memorial Centre.
Staff says Labatt “took an aggressive approach” with its offers to rent a private suite and also advertise at the arena.
Councillors will consider the switch from Molson/Coors to Labatt on Monday night at City Hall. Any decision they make will have to be ratified at a forthcoming council meeting.
OHSWEKEN – Ennismore James Gang lost a heartbreaker Friday night to the defending President’s Cup champion Six Nations Rivermen.
The James Gang rallied from a 4-1 first period deficit to lead 5-4 after two periods. The Rivermen outscored Ennismore 2-0 in the third period for a 6-5 final in Game 1 of their OLA senior B semifinal. Dwayne Porter’s second goal of the game with 5:22 remaining was the winner.
Game 2 in the best-of-five series goes at 7 p.m. Saturday at Ennismore’s Robert E. Young Recreation Complex.
Joel Wasson-McQuigge led Ennismore with a goal and assist while Pat McCrory, Jeff Swift, Kyle Trolley and Josh Gilray also scored. Courtland BlackAraujo had two assists with singles to Chris Lopes, Nick Andreoli, Josh Wasson-McQuigge and Gavin Barrie. Ryan Masters played in goal. Layne Smith also scored twice for the Rivermen with singles to Tom Montour and Stew Hill.