Uxbridge Bruins surge ahead in Battle of North Durham with two convincing wins

DARRYL KNIGHT The Standard

The Provincial Junior Hockey League (PJHL) playoffs shifted into the divisional semifinal round over the weekend, and one of the most anticipated matchups is the Battle of North Durham between the Uxbridge Bruins and the Port Perry Lumberjacks.

Through the first two games of the best-of-seven Orr Division semifinal, the Bruins have seized early control of the series.

Nearly 800 boisterous fans packed the Bear Den in Uxbridge on Friday night (March 6th) for Game 1, creating a playoff atmosphere worthy of the rivalry.

Uxbridge wasted little time establishing momentum. Tanner Ryan opened the scoring at 7:03 of the first period, finishing a play set up by Jack Kemp. The Bruins doubled their lead midway through the frame when Cameron Meek found the back of the net with assists from Tyson Lotton and Trent Nobes.

Jordan Bonner capped the opening-period outburst at 15:42, giving the home side a commanding 3-0 lead heading into the intermission.

Port Perry got on the board late in the second period when Dylan Leslie scored at 13:43 with help from Austin Fata, but Uxbridge quickly restored its three-goal cushion just 14 seconds later as Tucker Roberts buried a pass from Kemp and Ryan.

The Lumberjacks refused to go quietly. Charlie Paton answered less than a minute later to cut the deficit again, and Kyle Den Ouden added another in the third period to bring Port Perry within two.

However, Darin Bain scored earlier in the third, and Kemp sealed the 6-3 victory with an empty-net goal at 18:28.

Robby DiMaria was solid between the pipes for Uxbridge, stopping 32 shots. Port Perry pulled starting goalie Eamon Callaghan early in the game after the Bruins took their 3-0 lead, with Jacob Walsh finishing the contest in relief.

The series shifted to Scugog Arena in Port Perry for Game 2 on Sunday afternoon (March 8th), but before the puck dropped, the hockey community paused for a moment of reflection.

Players and fans honoured the memory of North Durham Warriors Under-12 AA player Rowen Greening, who tragically passed away last week. Greening’s teammates gathered on the ice during a solemn pre-game ceremony as the community paid tribute during a difficult time.

When play began, the Bruins again took control early in front of a crowd of more than 700 cheering fans.

Ryan Shier opened the scoring at 4:52 of the first period, assisted by Luke Kemp and Bain. Just 90 seconds later, Evan Gilbert doubled the lead off a feed from Lotton and Shier, and Tucker Roberts struck again at 7:15 to make it 3-0.

Port Perry replaced Walsh with Callaghan following the third goal, but the Bruins continued to press. Gilbert added his second of the game late in the opening period to send Uxbridge into the intermission with a 4-0 advantage.

Roberts put the game out of reach in the second period, scoring twice more to complete a hat trick. His third goal came on the power play at 15:58 with assists from Jack Kemp and Luke Kemp.

Jordan Fitger added another early in the third period to round out a 7-0 victory.

DiMaria turned aside all 25 shots he faced to record the shutout, including a frantic sequence early in the second period when Port Perry enjoyed a two-man advantage and the Bruins' netminder briefly lost his stick during the scramble.

Following the win, Bruins head coach Dan West praised his team’s ability to maintain momentum after Game 1.

“They were able to get back into the game on Friday night, and we wanted to make sure today we got right back to playing our game and seizing our opportunities,” West said. “Our execution has been at a high level, and it went to another level today, which has been our goal the entire season.”

“We know they will ramp up a bit for Game 3 on Tuesday, and we're focused on matching that energy and meeting the challenges that come our way.”

Game 3 of the series was scheduled for Tuesday night in Uxbridge, with Game 4 set for Wednesday in Port Perry. If necessary, Game 5 would return to Uxbridge on Friday, March 13th, at 7:45 p.m.

In the other Orr Division semifinal, the Georgina Ice and Clarington Eagles split their opening games over the weekend, with both victories coming on the road.