Dukes pull plug on Bulldogs’ comeback

The Ice for Kids wasn’t built on a downhill slant—it just seemed that way yesterday afternoon.
The Wellington Dukes and Thunder Bay KC Bulldogs took turns dominating periods, with the Dukes getting the last laugh in a 7-4 victory to open the Dudley Hewitt Cup Central Canada Junior ‘A’ hockey championship here.
The Dukes, champions of the Ontario Provincial Junior ‘A’ Hockey League and ranked tops in the nation entering the four-team tournament, looked every bit the powerhouse they were anticipated to be in the first 15 minutes of the contest against the SIJHL runner-up Bulldogs.
Jordan Freeland unleashed a quick shot past Thunder Bay goalie Bill Gerry at 5:51 of the first period for a 1-0 lead, before Mark Campbell pushed it to 2-0 with a nifty power-play marker at 8:01.
Campbell knocked down Tyler Rivers’ shot from the point and, in one motion, kicked it to his stick and then tucked it past Gerry.
Liam Reddox’s rocket from the point snuck through a maze of bodies and through Gerry’s five-hole at 14:11. And when Brent Varty made it 4-0 23 seconds later, the Bulldogs appeared on their way to being demolished.
But after a time-out was called by Thunder Bay coach Dave Vescio, the canine crew rediscovered its bite. Lloyd Stansell’s power-play goal with 38 seconds left in the period breathed new life into the Bulldogs.
The second period was dominated by Thunder Bay, thanks to a lethal and quick-striking power play that struck for three more goals to tie the contest 4-4.
Nine seconds after Wellington’s Ron Cordes was sent off for high sticking, Adam Fabiano tipped Rylan Vesa’s point shot past Dukes’ goalie Dayne Davis to make it 4-2 at 4:09.
Only 52 seconds later, and just three seconds after Dukes’ defenceman Derek Smith was called for holding, Vesa cleanly won the draw in the Wellington zone back to Trevor Karasiewicz, who unloaded a howitzer from the blueline as Fabiano ran interference in front of Davis, who never saw the shot whistle over his glove hand.
Vesa then struck again at 15:11, whipping a one-timer past Davis, who had set a Canadian Junior ‘A’ Hockey League record with a 1.40 goals against average during the regular season.
Stansell almost put the Bulldogs in front for the first time on another power play later in the period, but ripped a bullet off the left post.
The Dukes gathered themselves between periods, and Mike Konieczny put Wellington back in front at 2:19 of the third with the eventual game-winner.
Ryan Woodward made it 6-4 at 10:40 after cashing in on a rebound of his original shot, then Freeland capped the scoring on the power play 50 seconds later, beating Gerry between the pads from the slot.
The Dukes (1-0) next take on the Borderland Thunder tonight at 7:30 while the Bulldogs (0-1) will try and regroup against the Northern Ontario Junior ‘A’ Hockey League champion North Bay Skyhawks today at 2:30 p.m.