Jeff Moore
Record Staff
The North Dundas Rockets welcomed the Morrisburg Lions to the Chesterville Arena on Sat., Dec. 22, in the NCJHL. The Rockets’ forward and captain, Brad Stitt (16) battles in front of the Lions’ goalie, Riley Phillips. The Lions’ defenseman, Francis Chartrand (5) goes down to block a shot as the Rockets’ Brad Nash hopes for a rebound. The Rockets doubled up the Lions by a score of 8-4. Moore photo
CARDINAL—The North Dundas Rockets played two games this past week as they welcomed the Morrisburg Lions on Saturday night and travelled to Cardinal on Sunday afternoon to take on the South Grenville Rangers.
Rangers 6 Rockets 3
The North Dundas Rockets travelled to the Ingredion Centre in Cardinal on Sun., Dec. 23, to take on the South Grenville Rangers in the NCJHL. The Rockets went into the game in second place just six points behind the Rangers in first place in the West Division.
The Rockets opened the scoring at 17:35 of the first period as Brad Nash tipped one home from Matt Cowley and Brad Stitt to take a 1-0 lead. The Rockets took the 1-0 lead into the first intermission.
The Rangers tied the game when Noah Edmonds scored from Cameron Dillon and Carson Pickup just 1:45 into the second period. The Rockets retook the lead when Pierce Egan snuck in off the point and beat the Rangers’ goalie, Lee Spurgeon at 7:59 from Tom Fingler.
The Rangers tied the game again at the 11-minute mark of the middle frame as Jordie Dodge scored an unassisted goal. The Rangers took their first lead of the game when Sam Martin snapped one home from Zach Hotte at 14:18.
The Rockets knotted the affair at three, when Justin Lefebvre pounded one home from Brad Stitt and Brad Nash at 14:53. Neither team was able to take an advantage into the second intermission settling on a three-all draw.
The Rangers retook the lead when Dodge scored his second of the game from Brody Ranger and Dillon at 8:34 of the third period. The Rangers made it 5-3 when Jack Finnerty slapped one home from the right circle from Brayden Forrestell and Drew Holmes at 12:18.
The Rangers ran the Rockets out of gas in the third and made it count as Martin scored his second of the game from Dillon and Mathieu Giroux at 16:18. The Rangers took the game doubling the Rockets 6-3 and moved eight points ahead in first place.
Picking up the win in the Rangers’ goal was Spurgeon and suffering the loss in the Rockets’ goal was Reilly Tondreau.
The Rockets’ defenseman, Cameron Brown looks up at a high shot as the Rangers’ goalie, Lee Spurgeon reaches for the biscuit. The Rangers’ defenders, Drew Holmes and Cameron Dillon push Brown out of the slot as the Rockets’ Tom Fingler (10) hopes for the Ranger goalie to bobble the puck. Moore photo
Rockets 8 Lions 4
The North Dundas Rockets welcomed the Morrisburg Lions to the Chesterville Arena on Sat., Dec. 22, in the NCJHL. The Rockets sat in second place in the West Division, eight points behind the South Grenville Rangers in first place.
The Rockets opened the scoring just 1:32 into the first period as Tom Fingler snapped one home from Will Watson taking a 1-0 lead. The Rockets made it 2-0 when Brad Nash fired one to the back of the net from Carter Tait and Brad Stitt at 4:27.
The Lions cut the deficit in half when Devon Burns scored on a breakaway from Greg McMullen at 5:43 to make it 2-1. The Rockets restored their two-goal lead when Watson tapped one home from Pierce Egan at 13:31 but Burns scored his second of the night unassisted at 15:07 to get the Lions back to within one.
The Rockets made it 4-2 as Egan roofed one at 17:58 from Cameron Brown and Fingler on the power play. The Rockets took the 4-2 lead into the first intermission. The Rockets made it 5-2 as Connor Roth blasted one home from the top of the right circle from Justin Lefebvre and Brad Nash at 11:11 on the power play.
The Lions got back to within two as McMullen scored an unassisted goal at 13:20 but the Rockets answered at 15:26 as the Rockets’ newest player, Jarrett Williams scored his first NCJHL goal from Brown and Dylan Robinson.
The Rockets took a four-goal lead when Watson scored his second of the game from Roth and Matt Cowley at 16:49. The Rockets took a 7-3 lead into the second intermission. The Rockets took a five-goal lead when Nash lit the lamp from Lefebvre and Stitt at 10:48 of the third period.
The Lions got one back at 16:12 as Burns completed the hat trick from Kevin Doyle. The Rockets hung on to take the game 8-4, moving to within six points of the Rangers for first place. The Rockets outshot the Lions 73-36.
Picking up the win in the Rockets’ goal was Reilly Tondreau making 32 saves and suffering the loss in the Lions’ goal was Riley Phillips making 65 saves.
Up next
The North Dundas Rockets welcome the Metcalfe Jets to the Chesterville Arena on Sat., Jan. 5, at 7:30 p.m. and travel to the Morrisburg Arena on Sun., Jan. 6, to take on the Lions at 1:30 p.m.
