PJHL roundup: Firebirds not panicking despite last-place start

Members of the Tavistock Braves celebrate a goal during their 7-1 victory over the Hespeler Shamrocks on Sept. 26. The Braves had an explosive first period, scoring four goals in the opening 20 minutes. Yann Raskin had a four-point game with two goals and two assists, while Carter Arseneau had a goal and three helpers, and Evan Palubeski scored two goals and one assist. Alec Richard photo

By Lee Griffi

New Hamburg finds themselves in the unlikely spot of last place in the Provincial Junior Hockey League’s (PJHL) Doherty Division, but its head coach is confident the team won’t be there long.

New Hamburg’s lone win came in a 5-0 home shutout over Hespeler, while its three losses were all decided by a single goal, two of them in overtime.

“Those games go either way. I mean, we had our chances against Paris. Their goalie came up with some big saves, and they came down and scored in overtime,” said head coach Shane Gerber. “Our division is very competitive and I think you’ll see a lot of this during the season.”

Gerber added the team is working through a few zone challenges, but no one is concerned about the slow start in the standings.

“There is a little bit of growing for us to do there, but definitely no panic setting in anywhere. We’ve only played four games, and if we won two of them, we’d be in third or fourth. It’s going to take a bit of time, but it’s turning in the right direction.”

The Firebirds have played the fewest games in the division to date, something Gerber explained isn’t a concern.

“I’m comfortable with it because we only practice once a week. One game a weekend, then we iron out more stuff. You can quickly fall behind if you are losing games because you don’t have the time to correct it. We play three games this weekend, so we’ll be caught up.”

Most teams have utilized a new and relaxed rule where Junior B players could freely leave their teams and sign with a Junior C squad, something Gerber said has made a difference in the quality of play this season.

“I feel the entire league is playing better hockey than we have seen in a long time. Those 20-year-olds need a place to play and it just keeps filtering down and some of the teams are getting them even earlier, as 19-year-olds. The PJHL as a whole will be a great brand of hockey to watch. It’s not what it used to be, that’s for sure.”

The Firebirds have won the Doherty Division for two straight years and Gerber doesn’t expect many easy nights during the season since the other seven teams will be ready to play night in and night out.

“Everyone comes in with their best; we know it and that’s how it is. If we’re not at our best, we are going to be on the wrong end. We know that and we talk about it.”

One of the pleasant surprises to date has been the play of Jayden Fischer, the brother of former captain Owen Fischer. The 19-year-old had 11 points in 38 games last season but has already put up seven points to date. Gerber explained it comes down to taking advantage of the opportunity.

“He’s always been a good player, always had the flashes. His consistency wasn’t there in the past and I know it’s only been four games, but we hope his play stays this way. With some of our older guys moving on, there is a window there for him to get more ice time and be on the powerplay.”

He added at some point, the team needs their younger players to be what they think they can be.

“That’s how we stay competitive. It may be a surprise to some, but not as much to us because it’s what we were hoping for.”

The Firebirds dropped a 3-2 decision in overtime to the Titans on Friday at home. Owen Sculthorp and Jordan Jacobs found the back of the net in a losing effort.

New Hamburg hosts Norwich on Friday before travelling to Paris on Saturday and Hespeler Sunday.

The Firebirds have teamed up with the Wilmot and Wellesley Resource Centre and Ritz Printing for its annual Thanksgiving Food Drive. Since its inception, the drive has collected over 47,000 pounds of non-perishable food items. The team is holding Meet the Players events on Oct. 4 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Sobeys and McKay’s No Frills, where food donations will be collected. The main event is scheduled for Oct. 10 at the Firebirds Thanksgiving matchup against the Tavistock Braves.

Braves and Applejacks continue hot starts

Tavistock outscored its opponents 12-4 in a pair of weekend victories. It started with a 7-1 win on home ice Friday, where Yann Riskin and Carter Arseneau led the attack with four points each. Evan Palubeski added two goals and an assist while Brett Bell chipped in with two assists.

The Braves hosted Norwich on Sunday and earned a hard-fought 5-2 victory. The Merchants led 3-2 after two periods but roared back with three markers in the third. Bell and Arseneau scored to tie it up before Bell added his second of the game with seven minutes left to give Tavistock the win.

The Braves host Dorchester on Friday, their only game of the weekend.

Wellesley won its two games on the weekend, both by 3-2 scores. They downed Dorchester on Saturday at home, then skated into Hespeler on Sunday to earn an overtime victory. Wellesley has won three games in the extra period so far this season.