Jacks pot a record-setting 16 goals against Burford
New blood injects some life into a Wellesley squad that’s getting itself ready for the playoffs
THE WELLESLEY APPLEJACKS SCORED an unprecedented 16 goals in one game last week, defeating the Burford Bulldogs on home ice.
Head coach Brad Gerber says the 16-2 score came from his team’s hard work on the ice, as well as Burford not playing as well as they usually do.
“As the game went on, I don’t think (Burford) worked as hard as they could have, but it had to be hard for them. I wouldn’t want to be in that position and find out how my guys would react. I also give our guys credit,” he said. “It is good to see everything clicking, and getting ready for playoffs next month. Hopefully it is a sign of us coming together and just getting better and better as the season goes on. That has been our goal this year. The power play was good, they really moved the puck around nice, and we had some really nice goals.”
It was a dominant outing against Burford, who managed to find the back of the net just twice – once in the first period, and again in the third.
For the Jacks, goals came from Jordan Hoekstra (3), Shaun Pickering (4), Spencer Brick, newcomer Lucas Martellacci, Greg Huber, Nick Palmer, Cal Jefferies, Alex Uttley (3) and Brenden Goran. Pickering, Nick Mercier, Uttley, Kyle Soper, Colt Jaime, Martellacci, Palmer, Lucas Spence, Nick Mercier, Brady Gerber, Mario Alyas, Goran, Sean McEwan and Hoekstra picked up the assists.
There were a couple of new faces on the Wellesley roster on Friday night, and Gerber says that may have been the boost the team needed to score 16 goals.
“It is a thing when you bring in some new players, you just feel it in the dress- ing room. Everybody was ready to play that night, there was a really good vibe and a lot of excitement in the change room before the game,” he said.
Soper joined the Jacks after nearly two seasons with the Elmira Sugar Kings. Gerber says he is a great addition to the team.
“He played Junior B for two years and he is a guy that can play defense or forward for us and we are excited to get him started on defense here and see where that goes,” said Gerber. “He is a good kid and on Friday night on our power play, he makes it better back on the point. He kind of quarterbacks everything and just makes everybody on the ice.”
Martellacci was added to the lineup after his school schedule allowed him to take the time to dedicate to the team. Gerber says coaching staff originally saw him at the Sugar Kings prospect camp and have been trying to sign him up.
“We have been pursuing him ever since, but he has been busy with school. He last played in Milton at the tier 2 level,” said Gerber. “It is getting late in the season and with exams and stuff and being busy with school, now he is ready for us and hopefully for the rest of the season we can have a good front with him in the lineup.”
The team has also been working on limiting their time in the penalty box, something that came through at Friday night’s game.
“It is something that we have been talking about for a long time,” said Gerber. “We know that in the playoffs and down the home stretch here that we can’t spend too much time in the box. We have really been working hard on getting our minutes down and not wasting energy on the penalties. If we want to be successful in the playoffs, you have to learn to stay out of the box and play five-onfive.”
The Jacks now have only seven games left in the regular season. Gerber says the lineup is finalized and the focus is on getting as many points as possible in those seven games. The Jacks will be facing off against first-place Ayr on Saturday night before taking on the last-place team, the Delhi Travellers, in a matinee on Sunday.
“There are no easy games in our league. Every time we play a team that is ahead of us, we are excited. We take it as a challenge and we are very excited that Ayr is coming to us. The last time we beat them was at home. This is a big game for us. We can still catch Paris for second place so we are focused on that,” said Gerber, adding that playing Delhi can also be a challenge. “They haven’t won yet, but the games are getting closer. The scores aren’t what they used to be and those boys work hard. We don’t want to be that team that loses to them, but if they keep working this way, they are eventually going to get a win. We just have to be focused, and it doesn’t matter if it is Ayr or Delhi, we just need those points.”
The puck drops against Ayr at 7:30 p.m. at the Wellesley arena on Jan. 14 and against Delhi at 2 p.m. on Jan. 15.