Tillsonburg’s Norwich Merchant players building toward PJHL post-season run

Norwich’s Josh King (right) keeps track of Tavistock’s Jackson Andrews in front of goalie Darren Hagerty (left). (Jeff Tribe Photo)

Jeff Tribe, Post Correspondent

Norwich Merchants coach Derek Partlo was pleased with a four-point January 3/4 weekend, featuring wins over the PJHL South Doherty Division-leading Woodstock Navy Vets and a bounce-back victory against the Tavistock Braves.

There was also the side benefit for Merchants’ forward Cale Arvai of a goal-scoring performance potentially lining up a culinary reward from proud grandma Elizabeth, in the Norwich Community Centre arena to take in Sunday’s PJHL 4-3 win over the Braves.

“She had to have liked it,” laughed Arvai post-game, an appreciative previous beneficiary not only of her excellent Hungarian goulash, but also homemade donuts topped with icing sugar and strawberry jam. “They’re really good.”

Norwich’s victories upped its record to 16-10-2 on the season, nine points back of the Vets, one behind the Braves and two in arrears of the third-place New Hamburg Firebirds.

“A good weekend,” said Partlo, who heads up a strong Tillsonburg-area contingent during the second season of his return behind the Merchants’ bench. “Two wins out of two tough teams.”

Last season, the Merchants set a points record with a first-place regular season finish. Although not by design, this year’s team is instead focussed on the post-season, looking to improve on a 2024-25 second-round playoff exit.

“We’re trying to build for the end of the year and have a long playoff run,” said Partlo, who continues to thoroughly enjoy the experience. He knows a lot of his players through coaching them in minor hockey or at the high school level, is related to a few and also played with other’s (Tyler Magoffin) fathers during his own junior career.

“Bottom line, they’re all good kids,” said Partlo, looking to impart his ‘X’s and O’s’ through the challenge of dealing with 25 individuals, who at times need either a pat on the back or kick in the butt.

“It’s figuring out who needs which,” he laughed. “And realizing a couple of them need both.”

Arvai was in line for the former following a second-period ‘hard work’ goal, driving behind the Tavistock net to help gain possession before curling back out into the slot. He buried his seventh marker of the season along the ice into the left corner of the goal (to go along with 15 helpers) on a centring pass and assists to Nathan Murphy and Logan Van den Acker.

“It was a line effort,” credited Arvai, one of a list of Merchants including Brandon and Gavin Balazs, Owen Harris, Travis Lamb, Josh King and Chase McCallum (6 goals and an assist through 27 games) who either played in the Tillsonburg Minor Hockey Inc. system or are from the area.

“Been fun,” Arvai continued of his experience in Norwich. “A great group of guys.

“We’re staring to click as a group, you can see it out there.”

“It’s like any other team, we want to win it all,” said Merchants captain Brandon Balazs, whose point-per-game stats are split evenly between goals and assists (11/11) through 22 games.

His ‘big’ little brother Gavin (three goals and four assists in 27 games) is enjoying his transition from the South Oxford League to the PJHL, finding the hockey faster and more competitive.

“It’s fun playing with my cousins and brother,” Gavin said. “Older guys, learning new things.”

Josh King would be one of those ‘older guys’, returning to the Merchants for his overage season. Initially, King focussed on his university studies (human kinetics) but was able to find time for PJHL hockey.

“You realize just how much you miss being around the guys.”

He has five goals and five assists in ten games since his return, including two goals, an assist and 14 penalty minutes in the previous evening’s 6-3 win over Woodstock, an outing paying homage to coach Partlo’s own playing days.

Last year’s regular season came with high expectations, King finding things a little freer as this year’s squad heads into the new year.

“If we keep going in this direction, good things will come our way.”

Harris did not add to his team-leading 32 points (8 goals, 24 helpers) against Tavistock. However, with the Braves pressing for the tie on a late power play, goalie pulled for a six-on-four advantage in skaters, Harris did contribute a crucial zone clear after a Brandon Balazs faceoff win in the Norwich zone with 32 seconds left in regulation time. Harris followed up, disrupting a lead pass in the neutral zone with 16 seconds remaining, icing the one-goal victory.

“Trying to change the narrative a bit more this year,” said Harris, whose father Duane also suited up with Norwich. “Play both sides of the puck, help the team get the win.”

The Merchants appear to be catching fire at the right time, he added.

“Hopefully make a deep playoff run. Better outcome than last year.”

Lamb’s father Trevor also played for the Merchants, acting as captain through his four seasons, a ‘no-pressure’ scenario for his son to skate into.

“No kidding,” laughed Travis, who joined Norwich as a 16-year-old and is currently enjoying his fifth and final overage year with the team.

“How much fun he had here was a big part of me coming here.”

His five years with an organization ‘which treats its players extremely well’ have been enjoyable and productive says Lamb, an electrician looking back on the personal growth the lessons learned through his PJHL playing experience have helped foster. Against the realization his cousin Brandon already expressed, every other team is hoping to enjoy a deep playoff run, Lamb also looks to finish off his career on a high note.

“Just work as hard as we can,” he concluded. “At the end of the day, if you can say you’ve put your heart out there, you can be happy with yourself.”