Royals down lowly Lancers as OEHL regular season nears end

Nicholas Thibodeau scored his first goal of the season. The forward has six points in seven games. McGinny Photorgraphy photos

By Lee Griffi

Tavistock moved into a third-place tie in the Ontario Elite Hockey League standings with a 10-2 drubbing of winless Lucknow. The Royals have 24 points as does Minto, but the 81s have two games in hand.

Defenceman Jeromy Munro led the attack with a pair of goals and two assists while Lucas Bast, Matt Zilke, Drew Gerth and Nicholas Thibodeau added three points each.

Tavistock outshot Lucknow 53-17 in a game that saw just four minor penalties.

Royals General Manager Brad Stere said playing against a weak team can sometimes be challenging but the players stayed focused and got the job done. He added the efforts by Munro and Bast this season have made a big difference.

“Jeremy is having a banner year. He always contributes with his offense and is an exceptional penalty killer. He is one of those all-around players who brings his game every night. Lucas made a bit of a change this year and has moved up to forward. He has excelled up front and it is showing in his production. It also shows his versatility that he can play both if we ever are short on the defense.”

Munro is also closing in on a pretty impressive landmark as a member of the Royals. He has played 267 career games for the Royals, just two behind the current leader Geoff Killing. Tyler Heimpel sits third at 262. Munro is also tied for fourth all-time for goals scored with 72. Heimpel leads the way with 126 followed by Wes Kropf with 107.

Tavistock’s final game is Friday night at 8:30 at home. Stere said their likely first-round opponent will be Saugeen Shores.

“We play Durham in the last game of the year and it will be a big one as they need that win to stay in the top eight so we are expecting a tough battle. The way the playoffs are setting up it looks like we will start with Saugeen Shores first round. They are a very tough opponent that matches up well against us.”