Third-place Uxbridge Bruins endure a rough weekend

DARRYL KNIGHT The Standard

With the playoffs just around the corner, the Uxbridge Bruins stumbled to a pair of weekend losses, after clinching third place in the Provincial Junior Hockey League’s Orr Division standings.

The Bruins opened the weekend at the Bear Den, on Friday, February 16th, where they found themselves on the wrong end of a 7-2 final score, against the division-leading Clarington Eagles. On the road in Lakefield, on Sunday, February 18th, the Bruins fell by a 6-2 score, against the fourth-place Chiefs.

On Friday night, the Bruins staked an early lead on a powerplay goal from Quinn Meek, with assists credited to Evan Gilbert and Ryan Shier. However, it was all Clarington from there, as the Eagles soared to seven consecutive goals, before Mark Sifri scored, assisted by Blake Peters, late in the third period, to round out the scoring.

The Bruins were looking to bounce back on Sunday night, when they braved a blast of winter weather, to make the trek to the cozy confines of the Lakefield-Smith Community Centre, and a match-up against the Chiefs. Lakefield has been on a bit of a roll recently, as they have leapfrogged the Port Perry Lumberjacks, for fourth place, in the Orr Division standings, which would give them a home-ice advantage in a playoff match-up between those two teams.

Unfortunately, for the Bruins, Lakefield continued their winning ways on Sunday, skating to a 6-2 victory. Meek and Luke Kemp scored for Uxbridge.

Loose Pucks:

- The Orr Division will have a new look next season. The PJHL recently announced the Chiefs and North Kawartha Knights will transfer to the Tod Division, keeping them in the Eastern Conference. The Caledon Golden Hawks and Schomberg Cougars are moving to the Orr Division, from the Carruthers Division, in the Northern Conference.

- The 2023-24 regular season wraps up this weekend, with a pair of games at the Bear Den. On Friday, February 23rd, the Bruins will host Lakefield, in the last regular season meeting between the clubs, in a rivalry which dates back nearly 40 years. The action gets underway at 7:45 p.m.

- On Sunday, February 25th, the Little Britain Merchants visit the Bear Den, at 2:45 p.m., to close out the regular season with a matinee match-up.