The North Dundas Rockets travelled to the Clarence Creek Arena on Fri., March 15, to take on the Clarence Castors in game five of the best of seven NCJHL semifinal. The Rockets were forced to overtime where the Castors put the final nail in the coffin scoring at 4:56 of the second overtime period taking the game 3-2. The Rockets’ Connor Roth consoles goalie, Reilly Tondreau after the final shot beat him, as captain, Brad Stitt, Jarrett Williams and Jack Van Kessel look on in shock after the Castors knocked them out of the playoffs in five games. Moore photo

CLARENCE CREEK—The North Dundas Rockets played two playoff games this past weekend as they welcomed the Clarence Castors on Thursday night for game four of the best of seven  NCJHL semifinal and travelled to Clarence Creek for game five on Friday night.

Cougars 3 Rockets 2 (2OT)

The North Dundas Rockets travelled to the Clarence Creek Arena on Fri., March 15, to take on the Clarence Castors in game five of the best of seven NCJHL semifinal. It was a “must win” game for the Rockets after they dropped game four 8-6 the previous night to fall behind 3-1 in the series. The Rockets led the game with just under five minutes remaining allowing three goals. 

The teams battled to a scoreless first period but the Rockets held more possession time than the Castors and outshot them. 

The Rockets opened the scoring at 4:24 of the second period as Cameron Brown tipped one home from in front of the net on the power play from Jarrett Williams and Connor Roth to take a 1-0 lead. The Rockets took a two-goal lead when Brodie Barkley ripped one off the crossbar and in at 10:17 from Pierce Egan and Tom Fingler. 

The Castors got one to go in just 27 seconds later as Patrick Lemay scored from Vincent Martel and tied the game at 15:30 as Sam Gaudet scored from Lemay. The teams took a two-all draw into the second intermission. 

The teams both sat back in the third period trying not to make a mistake but there were some good scoring chances by both teams. Neither team was able to find the back of the net forcing the game to a 10-minute overtime frame. 

The teams still played it cautiously in the first overtime but again nothing was decided after 10 minutes. The teams took the two-all stalemate into the third intermission. 

In the second overtime period the teams still took a cautious outlook but at 4:56 the Castors ended the game as Martel beat the Rockets’ goalie Reilly Tondreau off the right goal post and in taking the game 3-2 and the series 4-1. 

With that, the Rockets’ dream season had come to an end as the Castors move on to take on the Vankleek Hill Cougars in the NCJHL final. Picking up the win in the Castors’ goal was Corey Camirand and suffering the loss in the Rockets’ goal was Tondreau. 

The Rockets say goodbye to their over agers Connor Roth, Brad Stitt, Reilly Tondreau and Matt Cowley as their junior careers ended with the loss.



The Rockets’ forward, Brad Nash sends the puck in front of the net where teammates Brad Stitt and Tom Fingler try to get a stick on it. The Castors’ defensemen, Thomas Lowry (5) and Sam Gaudet (2) box out the Rockets’ forwards. The Castors ended up with the victory in double overtime taking the series four games to one. Moore photo

Cougars 8 Rockets 6

The North Dundas Rockets welcomed the Clarence Castors to the Chesterville Arena on Thurs., March 14, for game four of the best of seven NCJHL semifinal. The Rockets were coming off a tough 4-2 loss to the Castors in the previous game and trailed the series two games to one and looked to even the series. 

The Rockets opened the scoring at 3:02 of the first period as Hugo Lusignan pounded one home from Cameron Brown and Jack Van Kessel taking a 1-0 lead. The Castors tied the game when Raphael Payant scored from Sam Gaudet and Vincent Martel at 5:40 on the power play. 

The Rockets retook the lead when Brad Stitt slapped one to the back of the net from Connor Roth and Brown on the power play. The Rockets took a two-goal lead when Kyle Collette slid one home from Stitt and Justin Lefebvre at 17:11. The Rockets took a 3-1 lead into the first intermission. 

The North Dundas Rockets welcomed the Clarence Castors to the Chesterville Arena on Thurs., March 14, for game four of the best of seven NCJHL semifinal. The Rockets’ Jack Gill (22) gets a scoring chance here during the second period but the Castors’ goalie, Corey Camirand turned him away. The Rockets put up six goals in the game but still lost 8-6. Moore photo

The Castors got to within one as Patrick Lemay scored from Gaudet at 3:22 of the second period on the power play. The Castors knotted the affair at 5:46 as Zack Lugli scored from Matt Clement and Nathan Melee on another power play. 

The Rockets retook the lead when Lefebvre roofed one from Brown and Roth at 13:46 and restored a two-goal lead just 50 seconds later as Roth snapped one home from Brown and Collette both on the power play. 

With just 11 seconds remaining in the middle frame, the Castors got back to within one as Lugli scored his second of the game from Melee and Lemay. The Rockets took a 5-4 lead into the second intermission. 

The Castors tied the game just 40 seconds into the third period as Lugli completed his hat trick from Lemay and Melee. The Rockets retook the lead when Roth scored his second of the game from Tyler Balantyne and Tom Fingler at 10:28 to make it 6-5. 

The Castors tied the game at 16:35 as Tyler Baker scored from Aidan Cannell and Gaudet and took their first lead of the game as Sam Paquette scored from Payant and Etienne Aguis-Pease with 2:43 remaining in regulation. The Rockets pulled their goalie in favour of an extra attacker with under a minute remaining. 

The Rockets had a couple of good scoring chances but the Castors’ Gaudet was able to slide one into the abandoned cage with just 11 seconds remaining. The Castors took the game 8-6 taking a 3-1 series lead as the scene shifts back to Clarence Creek. 

Picking up the win in the Castors’ goal was Corey Camirand and suffering the loss in the Rockets’ goal was Reilly Tondreau.