Jeff Moore

Record Staff

CHESTERVILLE—The North Dundas Rockets played two games this past weekend as they travelled to Ottawa on Friday night to take on the Bytown Royals and welcomed the Morrisburg Lions on Saturday night.

Rockets 7 Lions 3

The North Dundas Rockets welcomed the Morrisburg Lions to the Chesterville Arena on Sat., Jan. 19, in the NCJHL. With the win the previous night, the Rockets moved to within three points of the West Division leading South Grenville Rangers; with a little help they could move to within one point. The Rangers however, were taking on the St. Isidore Eagles later in the evening. 

The Rockets opened the scoring when Zach Parent roofed one at 12:44 from Carter Tait taking a 1-0 lead. The Rockets outshot the Lions 19-12 in the first period but settled for the one-goal lead heading into the first intermission. 

The Lions knotted the affair at one when Justin Shay unloaded a slap shot from the top of the left circle from Devon Burns at 4:04 of the second period. The Rockets retook the lead when Justin Lefebvre snapped one home from Cameron Brown and Tom Fingler at the 11-minute mark. 

The Rockets took a two-goal advantage at 17:04 as Connor Roth slipped one home from Jarrett Williams and Matt Cowley making it 4-1. Lefebvre scored his second of the game from Fingler and Roth on the power play with just 1:13 remaining in the middle frame. 

The Lions answered with only 58 seconds remaining as Hayden Hoerner fired one home from Cal Bilmer but the Rockets restored their three-goal advantage with just 10 seconds showing on the clock, as Lefebvre completed his hat trick from Fingler and Brad Stitt. The Rockets took a 5-2 lead into the second intermission. 

The Lions got to within two as Devon Burns scored on a breakaway, unassisted at 2:28 of the third period but the Rockets got that back at 7:49 as Williams lit the lamp from Roth and Dylan Robinson to make it 6-3. 

The Rockets closed out the scoring when Robinson slapped one home from Williams and Roth at 11:47. The Rockets took the game 7-3 but they failed to gain ground on the Rangers as they beat the Eagles 6-1. 

The Rockets outshot the Lions 45-38. Picking up the win in the Rockets’ goal was Caleb Gervais making 35 saves and suffering the loss in the Lions’ goal was Rylie Phillips making 38 saves.

Rockets 5 Royals 4 (OT)

The North Dundas Rockets travelled to the Bernard Grandmâitre Aréna in Ottawa to take on the Bytown Royals on Fri., Jan. 18, in the NCJHL. The Rockets went into the game in second place in the West Division, five points behind the South Grenville Rangers.

The two teams battled to a scoreless first period with both teams firing 15 shots on goal. The Rockets opened the scoring when Connor Roth fired one home from Jarrett Williams and Matt Cowley while shorthanded just 1:55 into the second period taking a 1-0 lead. 

The Royals promptly responded just 35 seconds later tying the game at one. The Rockets retook the lead at 5:18 as Hugo Lusignan lit the lamp from Williams and Zach Parent but the Royals tied the game just 11 second later. 

The Rockets retook the lead again as Carter Tait pounded one home from Parent and Lusignan at 8:54 but again the Royals got to even at 11:21. The teams took a three-all tie into the second intermission. The Rockets again, retook the lead when Justin Lefebvre blasted on home from Tom Fingler and Brad Stitt at 8:35 of the third period. 

With time winding down in regulation, the Royals pulled their goalie in favour of an extra attacker and it paid off as they knotted the affair at five with just 1:22 remaining. Neither team was able to find the back of the net before the final buzzer sounded, so the game headed to a five-minute three on three overtime period. 

There was only one shot taken in the extra frame and it came off the stick of Roth who made a nifty move on the Royals’ defenseman and beat their goalie just 1:11 into the extra frame from Cameron Brown; ending the game for the Rockets. 

The Rockets came away with a dramatic 5-4 victory. With the win combined with the Rangers loss against the Metcalfe Jets, the Rockets move to within three points of top spot in the west. The Rockets outshot the Royals 49-42. 

Picking up the win in the Rockets’ goal was Reilly Tondreau making 38 saves.

Up next

The North Dundas Rockets welcome the Metcalfe Jets to the Chesterville Arena on Sat., Jan. 26, at 7:30 p.m. and travel to Cardinal Arena on Sun., Jan. 27 to take on the South Grenville Rangers at 2:40 p.m.