Royals win a pair and hang on to first place

Embro’s Issac Westlake scored his first goal as a member of the Royals in a 10-2 win over Delhi on Sunday. Photo courtesy of the Royals

By Lee Griffi

Tavistock earned four important points over the weekend and, in doing so, kept a share of first place in the Ontario Elite Hockey League’s (OEHL) South Division.

The Royals travelled to Tillsonburg on Saturday and came away with a 3-2 victory. Drew Gerth scored the game-winning goal with 5:39 left in the third period, an unassisted marker. Deven Kropf added a goal and an assist, and Mitch Atkins also found the back of the net for Tavistock. The Royals outshot the Thunder 49-26.

Tavistock had an easier time picking up a win on Sunday in Delhi as they trounced the Flames by a 10-2 count. Embro native Issac Westlake scored his first goal of the season and added a pair of assists for the Royals who had 13 of 17 skaters find the scoresheet. Lucas Bast led the offense with four points while Callan Christner added three assists. Six Royals chipped in with two points each as 13 of 17 skaters hit the scoresheet.

Westlake spent two seasons with three different Greater Ontario Hockey League (GOHL) teams before ending his junior career in Wellesley with the Applejacks in 2024.

“It felt great to finally get one. It’s always nice to contribute, but more than anything, I’m just excited about the group we have. We have great guys, a deep lineup, and everyone’s buying in. (That) makes it fun to come to the rink every weekend,” said Westlake.

Head Coach Tyson Zehr said the team put in a great two-way effort on the weekend.

“We picked up four big points and I thought we did a lot of things well. Our puck possession really stood out, outshooting the other guys 114-38. The guys were moving the puck with confidence, supporting each other and playing with good structure in all three zones.”

He added seeing Westlake get his first goal as a Royal was a big moment.

“He’s fit in really well, brings a lot of energy, plays a heavy game and does a lot of the little things right. He’s had plenty of good looks over our first five games, so the group was happy to see him get rewarded.”

As for the Delhi game, Zehr explained his intention wasn’t to run the score up, and he did take away some positives.

“It’s nice when everyone gets involved. It gives guys confidence, lets us work on some different looks and helps build chemistry throughout the lineup. You want to see good habits and unselfish play, no matter what the score is, and I thought we handled that the right way.”

Next action for the Royals is Saturday night for a first-place battle at the Tavistock and District Recreation Centre against the Seaforth Centenaires. Game time is 7:30 p.m.

“Any time we play Seaforth, it’s a big game,” said captain Tristan Hohl. “They’re one of the top teams in our conference, so it’s a good measuring stick for us as to where we stand. With Minor Hockey Night on Saturday, the energy at the rink will be even more intense.”

The Royals are offering one lucky minor hockey player free registration for the 2026-2027 season. Players also get into the game for free.