Gemini teams enter their ‘second’ TVRA Southeast season

Gemini Noa Black (left) on the forecheck against Parkside’s Owen Ayres. (Jeff Tribe Photo)

Jeff Tribe, Post Correspondent

The Tillsonburg Gemini boys’ hockey loss to the visiting St. Thomas Parkside Stampeders revealed goalie Will Court’s enthusiasm and ability to handle two-on-one rushes, observed assistant coach Henry Van Asseldonk wryly.

“But that’s not something we want to know,” Van Asseldonk clarified of the ill-advised nature of giving opponents odd-man breakouts.

“I like two-on-ones, you can get some big saves there,” explained the Gemini keeper following a 4-1 Thames Valley Regional Athletics loss Monday, Feb. 9 inside Tillsonburg’s Memorial Arena.

“Quite a few (this game),” added Gemini defenceman Richard Heleniak. “Chip it out and it’s me and Will on the back end.”

Monday’s result aside, the Gemini have been on the front end of their TVRA season, heading undefeated into a campaign-closing battle with the Stampeders for first place.

It began on script, Tillsonburg’s Keegan Diering opening scoring from Lucas Thompson at the 4:53 mark of the first (15-minute) period. However, Dezzy Fulton would square accounts 1:31 prior to its conclusion. Fulton scored what would stand as the game-winner in the second frame, assisted by Creed Green. The Gemini pushed unsuccessfully for the equalizer in the third, Cutler Jones extending the visitors’ lead to two goals with 6:46 remaining in regulation time. Parkside would add a statistically-unusual power-play empty-netter in the game’s latter stages to round the 4-1 final, Tillsonburg continuing to push to the final buzzer.

“Hockey is a hard game,” said Gemini coach Derek Partlo. “We haven’t been tested as much through the regular season.

“This was like playoff hockey.”

Both teams finished with a 7-1 regular season record, the Stampeders awarded first place on strength of their head-to-head result. The Gemini will await the winner of the third versus six playoff-opening series said Partlo, adding a loss on the verge of post-season may be productive in the long run.

“We didn’t try to lose a game but a little adversity before we hit the playoffs is not a bad thing.”

The game hadn’t come out the way the Gemini wanted admitted captain Liam Nunn, one of three Grade 12 veterans on the roster. However, last year, Tillsonburg’s undefeated regular season record did not translate into playoff success.

“Hopefully it changes this year.”

Nunn looks forward to the elevated physicality and intensity the post-season will bring, both nervous and excited due to this being his final season of high school hockey.

Heleniak’s Grade 10 perspective looks to ‘focus’, staying locked in shift to shift and playing more as a unit in Tillsonburg’s defensive zone as keys.

“Our goalie’s been keeping us in,” Heleniak said. “(But) I think if we play like we’ve been playing in the regular season, we can close it out in the playoffs.”

The Gemini are scheduled to open best-of-three TVRA Southeast semi-finals Monday, February 23 inside the Memorial Arena, beginning with a 12 noon faceoff. Game three, if necessary, would be back in Tillsonburg that Thursday again with a 12 noon face-off.

“We’re going to have to work for it,” Partlo concluded, speaking to ‘how hard’ the Gemini want to play. “But there is some potential there.”