Lumberjacks open new season with a couple of close games

DAN CEARNS The Standard

The Port Perry Lumberjacks opened their 2024/2025 season with a couple of competitive games, falling in close scores to the Little Britain Merchants and Caledon Golden Hawks.

Before the puck dropped on the new season, Lumberjacks general manager Tom Parish explained the team sees having a returning coach, Ryan Connelly, as an advantage.

"The last few years, we changed coaches quite often, and Ryan is very well-liked and respected by the players. That (last season) was his first year coaching junior as well. So he's raring to go and ready to take another step forward himself."

The Port Perry team's season opened with a game in Little Britain on Saturday, September 14th.

The game was deadlocked until late in the first period. With less than a minute and a half remaining on the clock, the Merchants scored the game's first goal.

The game would remain 1-0 until the third period. Less than six minutes in, Jacob Sharpe tied the game with the Lumberjacks' first goal of the season. That goal came on a Lumberjack power play. But, three and a half minutes later, the Merchants scored to restore the one-goal lead. The Merchants would add an empty-net goal with 21 seconds left in the period, and the Lumberjacks lost 3-1.

The Lumberjacks' first home game of the season, at Scugog Arena, was on Sunday, September 15th, against a new division opponent, the Caledon Golden Hawks.

Just a little over a minute into the first period, Andrew Naccarato-Soule thrilled the home crowd with the game's first goal. The Lumberjacks led 1-0. But, nearly 11 minutes into the frame, the Golden Hawks equalized the score with a goal.

The Golden Hawks took the lead in the second period, scoring eight and a half minutes in. That would be the only goal of the period.

However, two early third period goals from Jack Staniland and Austin Fata restored the Lumberjacks' lead, the game now 3-2.

About 17 minutes in, the Golden Hawks scored, tying the game 3-3. Two minutes later, the Golden Hawks scored the game-winning goal, and the Lumberjacks lost 4-3.

One Timers: - Just one game on the schedule for the Lumberjacks this weekend. They will host the Merchants at Scugog Arena on Sunday, September 22nd. That game will begin at 2:25 p.m.