SPORTS
St-Isidore Aigles eager for junior C playoffs
GREGG CHAMBERLAIN gregg.chamberlain@eap.on.ca
Onemore week left in the regular schedule for junior C hockey in EasternOntario. For the St-Isidore Aigles, it has been not just a good season but maybe even a great one. “It’s a good season,” said Pierre Bourgon, Aigles’ general manager, during a February 12 phone interview. “It’s a real difference from last year. It’s a great turnaround.” The St-Isidore junior C team finished at the bottomof the standings in the 2016-2017 season of the National Capital Junior Hockey League (NCJHL).This season, the Aigles are sinking their talons into the Cumberland Bandits and the North Dundas Rockets for the third-place spot in the final standings, as themid-February end of the regular season nears. Bourgon thinks that a 5-4 loss to the Bytown Royals, last Friday night, may have slipped the Aigles down to fourth place. He is optimistic that this Sunday’s home game against the Rockets will let St-Isidore move back up again in the standings, and let the club finish with a chance at third overall for the regular season. “We have a very solid coaching staff,” Bourgon affirmed, regarding the Aigles’ strength this season, “and we also have four very strong 21-year-old players.” Bourgon noted that one of the Aigles’ lead shooters, Maxime Choquette, has punched in 46 goals so far this season and has a good chance of making the golden 50-goal mark for the season. Vankleek Hill Cougars MarioMessier, president of the Vankleek Hill Cougars club, is also optimistic about his team’s chance of being in the upper half of the NCJHL’s playoffs list of teams. The Cougars are just below the mid-level of the regular season standings right now but they clipped the Cumberland Bandits 7-6 in overtime, at home, over the February 10 weekend. Une victoire pour les Hawks et une victoire pour les Nats. C’est ce qui résume bien le weekend des deux équipes. Le vendredi 9 février, les Hawks ont vaincu les Nats de Rockland qu’ils accueillaient au Complexe sportif Robert Hartley. Aucun but n’a été marqué durant la première période. Mais les Hawks ont marqué tôt en deuxième période alors que David Jankowski continuait demener la ligue avec ses 33 e et 34 e buts. Ils ont été séparés par un but de Connor Matton des Nationals. Les trois buts ont été comptés dans les premières minutes de la deuxième. La deuxième période a également tenu les officiels occupés. Pas moins d’une douzaine de punitions ont été distribuées. Les choses se sont calmées en troisième période, puisqu’il n’y a eu qu’une seule pénalité pour Hawkesbury. Les Hawks ont quand même mis fin au match avec une victoire de 3-1 sur un but d’Alec Beaudin- Touga assisté d’Alec Taillon. Dimanche, les Nationals ont rendu la MICHEL LAMY michel.lamy@eap.on.ca
Les Castors de Clarence Creek (maillots noirs) ont eu du mal à obtenir plus de deux lignes sur le banc pour leurs matchs au cours de la saison. Mais le club junior C est toujours en quatrième place du classement de la ligue alors que les séries éliminatoires approchent. —photo Gregg Chamberlain
“That’s one of the top teams in the league,” Messier said. “So we should finish the season strong, at least at .500.” Messier noted that the biggest handicap for the Cougars this season was the loss of several top players from last year. The main reason is that those players now attend school, either university or college inOttawa, and now lack either the time or the incentive for long commutes back to Vankleek Hill, for either practices or games. Clarence Creek Castors Trouble getting enough players on the bench for games all of the time has also
been the main problem for the Clarence Creek Castors, according to head coach Tim Kosch. But the team has managed to hold onto the fourth-place position in the NCJHL standings as the season end approaches, with their latest wins over the February 10 weekend against the Rockets and the South Grenville Rangers. “The leadership of the core players, that’s been essential,” explained Kosch, regarding the reasons for the Castors’ achievement this season. “Because a lot of times I’ve been playing a team without a full roster, often with just two lines to put on the ice, instead
of three or four.” Kosch said the Castors have proven them- selves committed this season to playing their best, even when outnumbered on the ice. “Some of the older players have been playing at least 40 minutes each game,” Kosch added. “All I ever ask from the guys is that they play from the heart.” After a February 12 rematch with the Rangers, the Castors have two games left on their regular schedule. This Saturday on the road against the Bytown Royals, then Sunday afternoon at home against the Pap- ineauville Vikings.
Les Hawks et les Nats se partagent les victoires
The Hawks and the Nationals split the winnings over the weekend, Hawks taking the Friday night game by a score of 3-1. The Nationals returned the favour by winning the Sunday game at home in a shootout, with 4-3 as the final score. Next up for the Hawks is a matinee game against Brockville on the eve of St. Valentine’s Day. Then, the Navan Grads pay a visit on Friday, February 17, for a 7:30 p.m. start. —photo Michel Lamy
pareille et ont vaincu les Hawks, en visite à Rockland, par un pointage de 4 à 3 en fusillade. David Jankowski a de nouveau marqué deux buts en deuxième période pour donner
l’avantage aux Hawks, mais les Nationals ont répliqué avec trois buts en troisième période. Chris Smith a également marqué pour les Hawks. La période de prolongation ne produisant pas de vainqueur, le tout s’est
terminé par une fusillade qui a favorisé les Nationals. C’était aussi une partie animée qui a tenu les arbitres occupés. Les Hawks occupent le deuxième rang dans la division Yzerman.
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