Friday featured a sleet of four games, two of which were decided in shootouts. Following the action Friday night, only one team in the CCHL remains unbeaten – The Hawkesbury Hawks.
Pembroke Lumber Kings 4 Smith’s Falls Bears 3 (SO)
The opening period remained scoreless and then Pembroke was able to build a sizable 3-0 lead in the 2nd with Mattaeus Derraugh assisting on all three. Smith’s Falls gathered themselves between periods and Tate Leeson got the Bears on the board 42 seconds into the third. Ryan Richardson scored his 3rd and 4th of the season to tie the game late in the final frame. Overtime solved nothing and it headed to a shootout. Malcolm Arseneau’s shootout marker was all Pembroke needed to secure a shootout win on the road. Lumber Kings G Jake Smith stopped 51 of 54 shots.
Carleton Place Canadians 2 Brockville Braves 3 (SO)
Canadians entered Friday’s game with a 3-0 record and grabbed the lead early off a Jackson Sterrett’s 2nd of the season. Two Brockville 2nd period goals (Fred Allaire and Emerick Nadeau) had the home side in the lead with one period remaining. 12:43 into the 3rd CPC knotted things up at 2 courtesy of David Gagnon. This one also had to be decided via the shootout. Brockville’s Philipe Gilmour and Eric Faith made good on their attempts and gave the Braves a win at their home opener.
Hawkesbury Hawks 5 Kemptville 73’s 3
In another game that featured a significant comeback, these two 3-0 teams were thinking offence right from the drop of the puck. Hawkesbury’s Jeremie Lavallee scored his 3rd on the powerplay and Michael Marleau got his team a 2-0 lead heading into the 2nd. CCHL rookie Geoffrey Fizet potted his 1st on the year and it was all Hawks. Kemptville were able to settle down however and captain Ashton Fry got the comeback started 6:01 into the 2nd. Goals from John Beaton and Jarrett Williams in the back half of the 2nd solidified the comeback. The 3rd period remained tense until Hawkesbury took back the lead with Zachary Fourniers 3rd. Michael Marleau put things out of reach making it 5-3 with under 2 minutes to play.
Navan Grads 1 Rockland Nationals 4
Rockland playing their home opener Friday night, the second game on back to back nights for the Nationals after dropping a decision Thursday night in Kanata. Captain Drew Shields got Rockland off on the right foot with a short handed goal 11:08 into the opening period. Just over a minute later Matthew Vermaeten had his Nats up 2-0 heading into the 2nd. Navan`s Ryan King was able to cut into the deficit scoring the periods only goal. Two mid period goals from Josh Norman gave Rockland the insurance they needed to get their fans a home opening win. The Grads were unable to find success on 9 powerplay chances.
