PJHL Roundup: Tavistock’s losing skid hits three games as Wellesley continues to lead division
- Lee Griffi
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
By Lee Griffi
It wasn’t for a lack of effort, but Tavistock dropped its third game in a row and now sits in third place in the Provincial Junior Hockey League’s (PJHL) Doherty Division.
The Braves dropped a 4-3 decision in Wellesley on Saturday despite outshooting the Applejacks 49-32, which included a 22-6 edge in the third period.
Ryan McKellar put Tavistock up 1-0 just over one minute into the game, but Wellesley roared back with four consecutive goals before the end of the first period. Jacob Reid-Brant and Evan Palubeski scored for the Braves in the second period to set up a wild third, but Wellesley goalie Xavier Bussiere was able to hold off Tavistock. The Quebec native earned his second win in as many starts this season, and he has a goals-against average of 2.50 and a save percentage of .932.
Hudson Parker and Luke Schofield each scored twice to lead the Applejacks, which leads second-place Woodstock by a single point.
Wellesley downed Woodstock in dramatic fashion on Sunday night, coming up with a 4-3 overtime victory. Hudson Parker redirected a pass from Riley Noble at the 1:53 mark of the extra period. Parker added another goal and assist while Schofield scored twice to lead the Applejacks. Bussiere was again sold in goal, stopping 31 of 34 shots.
Wellesley head coach Derek Lebold said bringing home four points on the weekend was big.
“Those are two of the top teams in our division and we wanted to show we could perform to our standard, and we came out with the results we wanted. There are some areas we can definitely clean up, like with multiple goal leads, but we let our foot off the gas.”
He added he was proud of his team’s effort against a pair of top Doherty teams.
“Tavistock and Woodstock; those are phenomenal hockey teams with a lot of depth and they are never going to be easy outs.”
Bussiere, a former late-round draft choice of the Saginaw Spirit, was acquired recently from the Komoka Kings of the Greater Ontario Hockey League (GOHL) after playing three games last season for the Applejacks. Lebold said he is expected to be the team’s number one going forward.
“He gives us a tonne of confidence back there and when things weren’t out for us from a five-on-five standpoint, he is the reason we won that game on Saturday night.”
Lebold is confident the Doherty Division is the toughest one in the entire PJHL
“You look at the standings and how tight it is, there is never an easy night, regardless of who you are playing and what their record is, but that’s a good thing. There are some teams in other conferences with no or one win in 15 games.”
There are currently seven teams with three wins or fewer out of the league’s 62 teams. Just 11 points separates first from last in the Doherty, something no other division can boast.
Lebold added he’s having a ball coaching this year’s team.
“It’s been a blast. They are all such fantastic young men and I think the staff would echo that. Our record, being what it is, makes it a lot easier to come to the rink, but the record is indicative of the effort they’ve put in and their willingness to dig into the details.”
Tavistock dropped a 4-1 decision on home ice Friday to Norwich. Yann Raskin scored the only goal for the Braves, his 10th of the season.
New Hamburg’s scheduled home game on Saturday night was postponed, allowing fans to watch Game 7 of the World Series, but the Firebirds did put an end to Hespeler’s four-game winning streak on Sunday with a 2-1 victory. New Hamburg led 1-0 after 40 minutes on Ben Oliver’s goal, but the Shamrocks tied it up early in the third before Bobby Tsilogianis scored the game-winner, his second of the season, on a pass from Justin McManus.
Navy Vets clean house
Despite being tied for the division at the time, Woodstock fired all but one of its coaching staff last week and quickly replaced them. Head coach Justin Elms, who has been with the team for over a decade, and assistants Chris Thompson, Chris Nauts and Chris Jensen were all let go, but goalie coach Keaghan Brett was spared the chopping block. Adam Wallace has been named the new head coach and is joined by his brother, Brent, and Jeff Reid.
The Wallace’s have played and coached in Woodstock previously and also won a Cherry Cup behind the bench with the Cambridge RedHawks of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League (now the Greater Ontario Hockey League) in 2022.
The Gazette reached out to the team for comment but did not receive one by press time. Several rumours are circulating about the team’s future, including speculation the club could make the jump to the GOHL as its 24th franchise next season.
Former Firebirds general manager passes away
New Hamburg has released a statement following the death of former general manager Joe Scherer.
“Joe’s dedication and love for the game left a mark on all who had the privilege of knowing him. His impact on the players, staff and community will never be forgotten. Our hearts go out to the Scherer and Baechler families during this difficult time.”
In lieu of flowers, donations to the Grand River Regional Cancer Centre or the New Hamburg Minor Hockey Association would be appreciated by his family.