Northern Premier Hockey League

NORTHERN PREMIER HOCKEY LEAGUE, WEEKEND RECAP: — The NPHL did not ease into November. Between Capital Division action, Metropolitan games and the return leg of the league’s Crossover Series, the weekend delivered blowouts, close finishes, statement victories and another long distance matchup between Six Nations and Akwesasne. The Capital side carried most of the schedule, with Madawaska Valley opening the weekend Friday before seven more games were played Saturday. In the Metro, Alvinston continued rolling with another offensive explosion. And in Akwesasne, Six Nations completed a two game crossover sweep with its second victory over the Wild. Plenty happened, Here is the OHD weekend recap. Capital Division Madawaska Valley Wolves 11, Shawville Pontiacs 5 The weekend started Friday with one of its biggest surprises. Madawaska Valley went into Shawville and scored 11 times, handing the Pontiacs a 11 to 5 loss. For the Wolves, it was a major offensive response after entering the weekend near the bottom of the Capital East standings. Shawville had been one of the stronger early season teams, making the six goal margin even more noteworthy. Madawaska Valley did not have long to enjoy it, however. The Wolves were back in action the following night against South Grenville. Deseronto Bulldogs 11, Tamworth Sabres 3 Deseronto continued looking like one of the teams to beat on the Capital side. The Bulldogs put 11 goals on Tamworth Saturday, earning an 11 to 3 victory and adding another high scoring performance to what has already been a productive start. Deseronto has repeatedly shown an ability to separate quickly when games open up. Saturday was another example. The Bulldogs have scoring throughout the lineup and have already produced several nights where opponents simply could not keep pace. Tamworth has shown it can create offence of its own this season. Against Deseronto, it was not nearly enough. Tweed Oil Kings 9, Lindsay Barncats 5 Tweed keeps scoring. The Oil Kings defeated Lindsay 9 to 5, giving Brad Brooks’ group another night with plenty of offence. Tweed has already produced games of 13, eight, 12 and now nine goals this season. That is not an accident anymore. The Oil Kings have enough skill and depth that when a game begins to open up, they can attack from several parts of the lineup. Lindsay scored five, which would be enough to win plenty of senior hockey games. Not against Tweed on Saturday. For an Oil Kings club that entered the year talking openly about unfinished business after last spring’s playoff run, the offensive ceiling remains one of the most dangerous parts of the roster. Arnprior Rivermen 8, Paugan Falls Rapids 3 Arnprior got back into the win column with an 8 to 3 victory over Paugan Falls. The Rivermen have had an uneven stretch after beginning the season strongly, but Saturday brought the kind of offensive night capable of restoring some confidence. Arnprior improved to 4 3 with the victory and eight points in the Capital East race. Paugan Falls, meanwhile, remains in search of its first regulation victory. The Rapids have had competitive stretches this season, but protecting games and limiting damage once momentum turns has been difficult. Saturday was another night where the opposition eventually created too much separation. Smiths Falls Rideaus 6, South Stormont Mustangs 5 One of the most important results of the weekend came between two clubs near the top of the Capital East standings. Smiths Falls edged South Stormont 6 to 5, moving the Rideaus to 5 1 and 10 points. The margin was one goal. The standings impact was larger. South Stormont entered the weekend among the East leaders and has already shown plenty of scoring ability. Smiths Falls found enough to leave with the win. For the Rideaus, it was also an important response after their previous trip to Tweed ended in a 12 to 2 defeat. Senior hockey seasons move quickly. One ugly loss does not have to become two. Smiths Falls made sure it did not. Madawaska Valley Wolves 6, South Grenville Rangers 4 One night after scoring 11 in Shawville, Madawaska Valley did it again. Not 11 goals this time. But another win. The Wolves defeated South Grenville 6 to 4, completing a two win weekend and suddenly changing the look of their early season. Madawaska Valley entered Friday with one win. It left Saturday with three. That is the kind of weekend that can change the mood around a senior hockey club. The Wolves scored 17 goals over the two nights and picked up four points. For South Grenville, it was a difficult home result after a strong performance in its previous outing. Westport Lumberjacks 7, Durham Hawks 2 Westport supplied one of Saturday’s biggest statements. The Lumberjacks defeated Durham 7 to 2, handing the Hawks a rare loss after a strong opening month. Durham had been one of the Capital West’s most productive teams, entering the weekend with four wins and nine points. Westport did not care. The Lumberjacks held the Hawks to two goals and created enough separation to turn the matchup into one of the weekend’s clearer results. For a Westport team that has already shown it can score, beating a strong Durham club by five gives the result a little more weight. County Royals 4, Norwood Rams 1 County got the kind of result it needed. The Royals defeated Norwood 4 to 1, limiting the Rams offensively and taking two points from a matchup where they were expected to compete. County has already been involved in several open, high scoring games this season. Saturday was different. Four goals were enough because the Royals allowed only one. For a team trying to establish consistency, winning a lower scoring game can matter just as much as one of the wild nights. Norwood continues to search for more offence and more complete performances after a difficult opening stretch. Metropolitan Division Alvinston Killer Bees 11, Tilbury Bluebirds 1 The Killer Bees are becoming a problem. Alvinston overwhelmed Tilbury 11 to 1 Saturday, producing the biggest margin of the Metropolitan weekend and continuing an unbeaten start. The Killer Bees had already shown their scoring depth with wins over Brant County and Woodstock. Saturday took it another step. Eleven goals. One allowed. And another night where the opposition simply could not slow Alvinston once the game tilted. Tilbury has already experienced both sides of high scoring senior hockey this season. The Bluebirds have put up big numbers themselves. Against the Killer Bees, almost nothing worked. Alvinston entered the weekend 4 0 and sitting on top of the Metropolitan South standings. The latest result only strengthens the early argument that the road through the Metro may eventually have to run through Alvinston. Brant County At Woodstock Brant County was scheduled to visit the Woodstock Lakers Saturday night at Reeves Community Complex. The public HockeySync schedule and Riverhawks schedule both confirm the matchup, but the final result was not yet reflected in the public sources available to OHD at the time of publication. OHD will update the weekend picture when the official result becomes available. Crossover Series Six Nations Ironmen 7, Akwesasne Wild 4 The weekend finished with something different. Six Nations travelled more than 500 kilometres east to Akwesasne and defeated the Wild 7 to 4, completing a sweep of their two game NPHL Crossover Series. The first meeting came in Ohsweken in October. Six Nations won 8 to 5. Game 2 belonged to the Ironmen as well. That gives Six Nations 15 goals across the two games and a 2 0 crossover record against Akwesasne. The matchup also remains one of the more unique additions to the NPHL schedule. Six Nations of the Grand River and Akwesasne are both Haudenosaunee communities with strong hockey traditions, but they sit hundreds of kilometres apart and compete in different NPHL branches. The crossover format brought them together twice. Six Nations won both. For the Ironmen, the road victory was also a useful response after losing 7 to 3 against Strathroy in their previous Metropolitan game. Capital Offence Was Everywhere There was no shortage of scoring on the Capital side. Madawaska Valley scored 17 goals over two nights. Deseronto scored 11. Tweed scored nine. Arnprior scored eight. Westport scored seven. Smiths Falls scored six. Even the losing teams found plenty of offence in several matchups. That is becoming one of the defining characteristics of the early NPHL season. There is enough skill spread throughout the league that nights can change quickly. A two goal lead is not always comfortable. Three can disappear. And when one team loses control defensively, the scoreboard can become ugly in a hurry. Alvinston Keeps Raising The Metro Standard The Metropolitan picture is also becoming clearer. Six Nations has shown it can score. Strathroy has put together several strong wins. Tilbury has had dangerous offensive nights. But Alvinston continues to stand out. The Killer Bees have been able to win close games, survive comebacks and completely overwhelm opponents. An 11 to 1 victory over Tilbury is another result the rest of the division will notice. It is still early. But Alvinston is making teams chase. The Crossover Games Add Something Different The Six Nations and Akwesasne series also showed why the NPHL crossover concept is worth continuing. Most senior hockey is built around repetition. The same regional opponents. The same buildings. The same players seeing one another over and over. The crossover games change that. Different travel, different communities, different opponents, different styles. Six Nations and Akwesasne were separated by more than five hours of driving, but the NPHL schedule gave both clubs a home game against the other. The Ironmen took advantage. OHD Weekend Takeaway This weekend showed just how large the NPHL has become. Madawaska Valley and Shawville started things Friday. Seven Capital games followed Saturday. The Metropolitan schedule added its own storylines. Then Six Nations travelled across the province for a crossover matchup with Akwesasne. And everywhere you looked, there were goals. Madawaska Valley produced a two win weekend. Deseronto and Tweed kept filling the net. Smiths Falls took an important one goal victory over South Stormont. Westport handed Durham a decisive loss. Alvinston put 11 on Tilbury. Six Nations completed its crossover sweep. Capital, Metro, Crossover. Different regions, different teams, different stories. One busy NPHL weekend

LINDSAY, Ont. — The Tweed Oil Kings brought plenty of offence with them to Lindsay. Elijah Brahaney scored four times, Douglas Little had four points and the Oil Kings fired 64 shots on goal in a 9 to 5 road victory over the Lindsay Barncats. Mac Lowry added two goals and an assist, Jake Campbell collected three helpers and Matt Loveys made 43 saves as Tweed continued to show just how dangerous its lineup can become when the game opens up. Lindsay generated plenty of offence of its own with 48 shots. The difference was that Tweed kept coming. Brahaney Takes Over Brahaney was the biggest name on the scoresheet. Four goals, Four points, First star honours. There are plenty of ways to influence a senior hockey game, but putting four pucks in the net tends to simplify the conversation. Brahaney gave Tweed the kind of finishing performance that can turn a close game into one the opponent spends the rest of the night chasing. He was not alone. That may be the more encouraging part for the Oil Kings. Little And Lowry Add More Damage Little finished with two goals and two assists for four points and was named the game’s second star. Lowry added two goals and one assist. Campbell picked up three assists. Colin Van Den Hurk contributed two helpers. Joseph Crothers also scored, while Owen Clarke, Dylan Ingram, Brody Morris and Jakob Brahaney each found their way onto the scoresheet. Tweed did not need one line to do everything. The offence came from several places. That has become a familiar theme around this Oil Kings team. When one player starts producing, there usually seems to be somebody else ready to join him. Sixty Four Shots Tell The Story Nine goals are hard to ignore. The 64 shots may say even more. Tweed directed 64 pucks at the Lindsay net. The Barncats had 48. That is 112 combined shots in a senior hockey game. There was not much time for either goaltender to settle in. Tweed kept generating opportunities, and Lindsay goaltender Steven Tierney was asked to deal with an enormous workload from beginning to end. He stopped 55 shots. And despite allowing nine goals, Tierney was named the game’s third star. That tells you everything about how busy he was. Tierney Battles Through It A nine goal night against usually does not end with recognition for the goaltender. This one did. Tierney faced 64 shots and stopped 55 for an .859 save percentage. Without him, the final margin could have been considerably worse. Tweed created enough chances to make the game uncomfortable throughout the night. Tierney kept battling. Fifty five saves is a serious night’s work at any level. He deserved the recognition even in defeat. Loveys Faces Plenty At The Other End The Oil Kings crease was not quiet either. Loveys faced 48 shots and stopped 43. That gave him an .896 save percentage and another win behind a Tweed team that was willing to exchange chances. Lindsay scored five times, but the Barncats never received enough stops at the other end to turn their offence into control of the game. Loveys did not need to be perfect. He needed to be better than the player across the ice. On a night featuring 14 combined goals, he was. Lindsay Had Its Own Contributors The Barncats did not go quietly. Scott Sandercock scored twice. Michael Swift and Ryan Oliver each finished with a goal and an assist. Brendan Wise also scored. Carson Gallagher recorded three assists, while Will Jones added two. Lindsay had enough production to make Tweed work for the win. Five goals will win plenty of senior hockey games. The problem was the other end. Against an Oil Kings lineup generating 64 shots, five was nowhere near enough. This Was Not A Special Teams Game For all the offence, the power plays did not decide this one. Tweed finished 0 for 2, Lindsay went 0 for 4. That means neither side needed the man advantage to fill the scoresheet. Tweed’s nine goals came without a power play conversion. That is impressive. It also speaks to how dangerous the Oil Kings were during regular play. When a team can score nine without relying on special teams, the opponent has a much larger problem. Tweed’s Offence Continues To Travel The Oil Kings have already shown they can put up large numbers at home. Doing it on the road matters too. There is something different about walking into another team’s building and forcing the game to be played at your pace. Tweed generated 64 shots. It had multiple players with three or more points. And it scored nine times without a power play goal. That is a difficult combination to handle. The Oil Kings have now had several nights this season where the offence has simply overwhelmed opponents. That ability gives Brad Brooks plenty of options. There Is Still Room To Tighten Things Up The win was convincing. Allowing 48 shots and five goals will still give the coaching staff something to discuss. Tweed does not want to rely on scoring eight or nine every time the defensive side gets loose. There will be nights when the offence does not arrive in waves. Against stronger opponents, giving up nearly 50 shots can become a much larger problem. But senior hockey is also about taking the two points when they are available. Tweed did that. And did it loudly. OHD Takeaway Elijah Brahaney owned the headline with four goals. Douglas Little had four points, Mac Lowry had three, Jake Campbell recorded three assists, Matt Loveys made 43 saves. And the Oil Kings put 64 shots on the Lindsay net. The Barncats had offence of their own and forced Loveys to work, but Tweed simply had too many weapons. Steven Tierney’s 55 saves kept the final score from becoming even larger. Nine goals. Sixty four shots. No power play goals required. For Tweed, it was another reminder that when the Oil Kings get rolling offensively, there are not many quiet shifts for the team on the other side.

WELLINGTON, Ont. — The County Royals did not need a track meet Saturday night. A steady defensive effort, timely special teams and a strong night from Brady Dyer were enough. The County defeated the Norwood Rams 4 to 1 at the Wellington District Community Centre, breaking open a 1 to 1 game with three unanswered goals over the final two periods. Dyer stopped 23 of 24 shots for a .958 save percentage, while Jesse Dick and Kenny Murduff each recorded a goal and an assist. Calvin Wojtaszak added two assists as the Royals earned another win on home ice. Even After One Norwood did not make things easy early. Jayden Cumming scored the Rams’ only goal of the night, helping Norwood come out of the opening period tied 1 to 1. The County had only eight shots in the first compared with 10 for the Rams. There was very little separation. That changed in the second. The Royals began generating more possession, more shots and eventually more offence. The County outshot Norwood 16 to 9 in the middle period and scored the only goal. That gave the Royals a 2 to 1 lead heading into the third. County Takes Control The Royals finished the job over the final 20 minutes. The County added two more goals while holding Norwood to only five third period shots. By the time the final horn sounded, the Royals had turned a tight opening period into a convincing 4 to 1 victory. The County finished with a 35 to 24 advantage in shots. That progression tells much of the story. Norwood stayed with the Royals early. The Royals gradually took the game away. Dick And Murduff Lead The Offence Dick earned first star honours with a goal and an assist. Murduff matched that production from the blue line with a goal and a helper, earning second star. Wojtaszak was named third star after setting up two goals. Spencer Stanutz and Chris Jones also scored for The Royals. Malcolm Hurd added an assist. Rather than one player carrying the entire offence, the Royals received contributions from several parts of the lineup. That became especially important after the first period offered very little room. Power Play Gives County An Edge Special teams were another clear difference. The County finished 2 for 3 on the power play. Norwood went 0 for 2. Dick and Murduff each recorded power play goals, giving the Royals an advantage that proved important in a game that remained close through the early stages. Royals also stayed composed enough to kill both Norwood opportunities. In a three goal game, a two goal special teams swing is significant. Dyer Gives County A Calm Night In Goal Dyer did not face the kind of workload some goaltenders around the NPHL saw over the weekend. He still needed to be sharp. Norwood generated 10 shots in the first period and had an opportunity to establish itself early. Dyer allowed only Cumming’s goal. Nothing else got through. He stopped all 14 shots he faced over the final two periods and finished with 23 saves. That allowed County to build its lead without worrying about one mistake turning the game back in Norwood’s direction. A .958 save percentage will usually give a team a pretty good chance to win. Saturday was no different. Groff Keeps Norwood Around Kyle Groff faced considerably more activity at the other end. The Norwood goaltender stopped 31 of 35 shots. The Royals fired 27 shots over the final two periods alone. Groff made enough saves to keep the Rams within reach for stretches, but the Royals eventually found their way through four times. When Norwood’s offence could not generate an answer after the first period, the pressure on Groff became difficult to overcome. A Better Kind Of Win For County The County has already been involved in some wide open games this season. This one required something different. The Royals were tied after one. They had to stay patient, they had to defend, they needed their goaltender, and they needed the power play to capitalize. That is useful for a team trying to find consistency. Not every night in senior hockey is going to turn into an eight or nine goal shootout. Sometimes four is plenty. Saturday, it was. Norwood’s Difficult Stretch Continues The Rams entered the game with only one victory over their previous five outings. They had beaten Lindsay, but losses to Tamworth, Tweed, Durham and Westport had made it difficult to build momentum. Saturday added another defeat. The frustrating part for Norwood will be that the game was there through the opening period. It was 1 to 1. The Rams had actually held the early shot advantage. But as the game moved along, County created more. Norwood managed only 14 shots over the final 40 minutes and did not score again. That was not enough to stay with the Royals. OHD Takeaway The County did not overwhelm Norwood from the opening faceoff. The Royals simply got better as the night went along. A 1 to 1 game after one became a 2 to 1 County lead after two. Then the Royals finished it with two more in the third. Dick and Murduff each had a goal and an assist. Wojtaszak picked up two helpers, the power play went 2 for 3, and Dyer stopped 23 of 24. It was not The County’s loudest win, It may have been one of their more complete ones. Royals 4, Rams 1.