CASTORS RED HOT AS THEY GEAR UP FOR THE PLAYOFFS
The Clarence Castors won their last two games to end the 2021-2022 season on an eleven-game winning streak, defeating the Gatineau-Hull Volant 4-1 on Friday before beating the South Grenville Rangers 2-1 on Sunday to clinch the top spot in the NCJHL general standings.
Jordan Croll-Stevenson notched a goal and a helper in the win against the Volant. Xavier Brunet, Nicholas Gaumont and Jacob Servant also scored goals in the victory and Robert Brisson, Philippe Plante and Alex Ross all scored assists.
Jaddus Savoie and Jacob Servant scored goals for the Castors against the Rangers, while Xavier Brunet, Alderic Denis, Nicholas Gaumont and Nikolas Guindon got assists in the victory.
The Almonte Inferno will face-off against the Metcalfe Jets on Friday to determine the eighth seed, and the winner of that game will face the Castors in a best-of-five series to kick off the postseason.
Castors’ Head Coach Tim Kosch wouldn’t have predicted such a successful season for his team at the beginning of the year and is very proud of the work they accomplished: “I can’t say that it was our plan all along to finish first in the general standings this year, but our guys worked hard and we got some good bounces here and there. We are very proud of what we accomplished this year.”
According to Coach Kosch, his team owes its success to defensive efficiency, strong team discipline and solid goaltending: “We were the best defensive team this year, leading the league with the least goals allowed. On top of that, we were also the least penalized team in the league because our guys are very disciplined. To me, those are not just hockey skills. These are life skills that will follow these young men their entire lives. It really shows the value of responsible behaviour, hard work and discipline.”
But that success comes with heightened expectations, and the Castors now have their eyes set on the championship.
“There is growing pressure for us to win a championship,” says Coach Kosch. “But we are confident in our abilities and we know we can win on the road against any team in this league.”
And after a hectic season interrupted by the Omicron variant surge in January, a win in the finals would mean that much more to the Castors’ head coach: “I’ve been to two finals with the Castors, but I’ve never won in the finals. So on a personal level, this would really mean a lot to me. The fact that my nephew [Castors’ goaltender Corey Camirand] is playing his last year of junior C is also adding extra motivation for me, and I hope we can bring the title home for him this year.”