PJHL roundup: Applejacks win seventh straight to take division lead – battle with Braves looms

By Lee Griffi

Wellesley is sitting three points clear of second-place Tavistock in the Provincial Junior Hockey League’s (PJHL) Doherty Division standings after a pair of weekend victories.

Five of the Applejacks’ seven wins this season have come by a single goal, including a 5-4 home-ice decision against Norwich on Saturday. Wellesley roared out to a 5-1 lead by the 80-second mark of the third period before the Merchants poured in four straight goals to make it a game. Boden White’s first goal of the season early in the third period stood up as the game-winner. Nolan Carriere faced a barrage of Norwich shots in the third but managed to kick out 16 of 19 and 25 of 29 for the game.

“We are really happy with the record; it goes without saying,” said head coach Derek Lebold. “We have a lot of new bodies, but they have come together quickly. A lot of the games have been tight, but I think that’s important early in the year. Grinding wins out leaves a little scar tissue which isn’t a bad thing come playoff time.”

The Applejacks won the Schmaltz Cup in 2023 but haven’t been able to make a playoff run since. Lebold said now that they are on top of the division, he knows teams are out to get them.

“Eventually, they are going to start gunning for us; I think we felt that in Paris this weekend. We stemmed the tide of their aggressiveness for the first 15 minutes of that game. I just like the way we are winning right now. Those tight games are character-building.”

The most anticipated game of the young season is booked for Saturday night in Wellesley when the Applejacks take on the Braves. Lebold said it’ll be an awesome night.

“Thanksgiving weekend; I imagine a lot of families will be back in town and the crowd will be rocking. We’re excited. It’s always a good rivalry. They’re an impressive outfit and their offense is really strong. We’re looking forward to the challenge and our guys are super pumped, and we will be well-prepared.”

The PJHL offers video access to every game, something Lebold said they have taken advantage of to prepare for Tavistock.

“We don’t necessarily get to many games because of our work and hockey schedules, but the league video allowed us to watch film from their last few games. Our staff does a great job of that and brings it into our practices.”

On Sunday, the Applejacks downed the Titans in Paris by a 5-1 count. Ian Speiran scored once and added three assists. Riley Noble, Luke Schofield and Ben Morton all added a goal and a helper each. Speiran is among the league leaders in points with five goals and 11 assists, just three points back of Hanover’s Elliot McCarey.

Wellesley goalie Logan MacMillan is among the league’s top netminders with a 1.72 goals-against average and a .934 save percentage. The 17-year-old Gadshill native played in the Huron-Perth AAA Lakers U18 program last season. He is undefeated in four starts.

Braves win, Firebirds continue to struggle   

Tavistock took two points out of its lone weekend game, a 6-2 win on home ice Friday night. Ryan McKellar and Yann Raskin each scored twice to lead the attack. Even Palubeski assisted on three Braves goals while Carson Bernhardt added a goal and an assist. Tavistock scored three times on the powerplay while Blake Richard stopped 24 shots to earn the win. Palubeski and Raskin are in the top 20 in PJHL scoring with 13 points apiece.

New Hamburg split a pair of games but did move into sole possession of sixth place in the Doherty Division. The Firebirds lost 6-5 in Paris on Saturday despite a three-assist performance from Keegan Metcalf and two goals from Aydan Burns. The team bounced back with a 4-0 win in Hespeler on Sunday, thanks in part to Deklan Jermol’s shutout performance.