Rockland Nationals end 2017 with a loss
The Rockland Nationals Junior A ended 2017 with a 4-3 loss against the Pembroke Lumber Kings.
The Nats and the Lumber Kings squared off in Rockland at the CIH Arena on December 22. The first period was evenly matched between the opponents, each team having scored a goal. The Nats’ Trevor Coykendall opened the scoring with his goal a little over six minutes into the game. He was assisted by teammates Shawn Kennedy and Olivier Schingh-Gomez. The Lumber Kings’ Con- Les Nationaux de Rockland ont joué leur dernier match de 2017 le vendredi 22 décembre. Ils ont subi une défaite aux mains des Lumber Kings de Pembroke par le compte de 4 à 3. Les Nats seront de retour dans la nouvelle année, avec deux matchs consécutifs contre les Colts de Cornwall. Le premier match aura lieu à Cornwall le jeudi 4 janvier, puis à l’aréna CIH le vendredi 5 janvier. Les Nats se rendront ensuite à Hawkesbury pour affronter les Hawks dans l’après-midi du dimanche 7 janvier. a fighting chance by scoring within barely three minutes of the third period. The Nats could not find the net again, however, and the rest of the match was without a goal by either team. The Lumber Kings took home the 4-3 victory.
Pembroke goaltender Jake Smith stopped 22 of the 25 shots on his net, while Sean Storr of the Nats blocked 23 of 27 shots. Warnholtz earned the first star of the game for his two goals for the Lumber Kings. Nats’ Antoine nor Warnholtz then responded by scoring as well.
The Nats fell behind in the second period, allowing Pembroke to successfully find the back of the net three times. Jared Weber and Matthew Barnaby each scored a goal at the seventh and 12th minute of the period. Connor Warnholtz then scored his second goal of the game for the Lumber Kings in the 17th minute. Matthew Vermaeten gave the Nats a necessary confidence boost with his goal in the last two minutes of the period. The period ended with the Lumber Kings leading 4-2.
The Nats’ Antoine Leblanc gave his team
The Rockland Nats will be back in the new year with two back-to-back games against the Cornwall Colts.
Leblanc was named second star for his assist during the game. Pembroke’s Jake Brien was named third star for his two assists.
The Rockland Nats will be back in the new year with two back-to-back games against the Cornwall Colts. The first will be played in Cornwall on Thursday, January 4 and then at the CIH Arena the next day, on Friday, January 5. The Nats will then visit the Hawkesbury Hawks on the afternoon of Sunday, January 7.