PJHL Roundup: Applejacks dominate Dolphins, Braves lead Firebirds

By Lee Griffi

Wellesley began the Provincial Junior Hockey League’s (PJHL) Doherty Division with a focus on team defence but turned in an impressive offensive performance in a first-round sweep of Dorchester.

The Applejacks averaged just over three goals per game in the regular season but upped that to just under five goals per game against the Dolphins. Wellesley took the four games with scores of 6-2, 4-1, 7-3 and 2-1. Connor Doerbecker and Boden White led the offence with six points apiece while Hudson Parker and Dimitri Eleftheriadis chipped in with five each.

Head coach Derek Lebold said he wasn’t surprised by his team’s firepower.

“We had high expectations heading into the playoffs. I think it was just a matter of coming together. We had good meetings and some good practices in the week leading up. Getting out to a hot start always helps and we got a lot of confidence after burying six goals in that first game, and we never looked back.”

He added part of the strategy against Dorchester was to get more pucks on net to create more scoring chances.

“I thought we did a great job of executing, driving pucks wide and getting them low. It allowed us to set up below the hash marks and get pucks back to the high slot. Overall, the guys were shooting pucks whereas in the regular season, they would pass up shots to make an extra move or pass.”

The Applejacks were hoping to generate 30 shots on goal but surpassed the 40 mark in three of the four games against the Dolphins. The team wasn’t thrilled about the schedule initially with four games in five days, and Lebold added the goal was to get the series done as soon as possible, meaning a good rest period before the second round.

Doerbecker and White have six points to lead Wellesley while Hudson Parker and Dimitri Eleftheriadis have five each. Seventeen Applejacks found the scoresheet in the series.

Surprisingly, Braves lead Firebirds

Tavistock has taken a 2-1 series lead over New Hamburg and they’ve done it with a pair of road victories.

The Braves took Game 3 by a score of 5-3 on Monday. The two teams traded goals until Nicholas Hambly and Blair Stokes scored goals 43 seconds apart in the third period to put Tavistock ahead for good. Owen Sculthorp pulled the Firebirds to within a single goal with three minutes left in regulation, but Hambly scored on an empty net with one second on the clock.

The Braves took Game 1 by a 4-3 score, but the Firebirds rebounded with a 5-1 win in Tavistock to even the series.

Braves general manager Brent Lange said the entire team is contributing.

“We have won a couple big games on the road. We’re playing as a team and everyone is buying into their roles. We have guys on all four lines that can score, along with the six defencemen. We have been battling hard, blocking shots and doing all the small things we need to do. It’s paying off.”

Lange also gave credit to goalie Lander Hartley, who has played every minute of the series. He added the Firebirds will be ready for Game 4 in Tavistock (Feb. 26 after the Gazette’s deadline) and the Braves will need to come out harder than Game 2 at home. Game 5 is set for Friday in New Hamburg.

“We didn’t have a great start at home last Saturday. If we want to keep the good vibes going, we need all 18 guys and our goalies rolling, and now they know what it will take. One shift, one period and one game at a time. We will have our guys ready to go Wednesday night.”