DARRYL KNIGHT The Standard
The Uxbridge Bruins will be looking to bounce back after a pair of weekend losses, to the Clarington Eagles and Lakefield Chiefs.
After a pair of wins the previous weekend, over North Kawartha and Little Britain, the Bruins came into the weekend riding positive momentum, under new head coach Chris Kerr. However, the team was facing a tough task, taking on the Orr Division-leading Clarington Eagles, on the road in Bowmanville to start the weekend, on Thursday, Jan. 25th.
The teams traded goals in the opening minute, with Tanner Ryan scoring for Uxbridge, assisted by Blake Edgerton and Ryan Shier. The Eagles would regain the lead shortly before the midpoint of the opening frame, but a powerplay goal from Anthony Lamanna, assisted by Quinn Meeka and Jack Davis, knotted the score at 2-2, after twenty minutes of action.
The second period saw the Eagles soar over the Bruins, scoring three unanswered goals, to take a commanding 5-2 lead before a late goal powerplay goal from Alex Hyde, assisted by Evan Gilbert, brought the Bruins to within two goals, heading into the third period. However, that would be as close as Uxbridge would get, with the Eagles adding two more to take the win, by a final score of 7-3.
The following night, the Bruins were back in action, at the Bear Den, with Lakefield visiting Uxbridge, fresh off a 10-5 home-ice win, over North Kawartha earlier in the week, to snap their five-game losing streak, to open the 2024 portion of the schedule.
The Chiefs carried their positive momentum over into Friday night’s contest, taking a 2-0 lead, until five minutes into the second period, when Noah Button got Uxbridge on the scoreboard, to cut the Lakefield lead to a single goal. The Chiefs would respond shortly afterward, to take a 3-1 lead into the third period.
Uxbridge was able to generate several scoring chances in the final frame, with Ryan scoring to cut the Chiefs’ advantage to 3-2, assisted by Button and Hyde, with just under 10 minutes to play. However, that would be as close as the Bruins would get, despite several sensational scoring opportunities down the stretch.
Loose Pucks:
- Defenceman, Owen Shier recently passed the 100 games played in the PJHL, spending his first 78 games with Little Britain before a trade earlier this season. Shier becomes the first player to ever achieve 100 games played in the PJHL’s Orr Division, or its predecessor, the Central Ontario Junior Hockey League (COJHL), as well as the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League (NOJHL). Shier spent 101 games at the Junior ‘A’ level, with the Timmins Rock, between 2018 and 2020.
- This weekend, Uxbridge is back in action on home ice, on Friday, February 2nd, with the North Kawartha Knights visiting the Bear Den, for a 7:45 p.m. match-up.
- On Sunday, February 4th, the Bruins will hit the road, to square off against the Georgina Ice, in Keswick, at 6:30 p.m.