Exeter Hawks snap two-game losing streak, regain division lead
Exeter Hawks goalie Tyler Strain turns away an Aylmer Spitfires shot. Photo courtesy of the team.
As time expired in the second period Friday against the Aylmer Spitfires, the Exeter Hawks were dangerously close to extending a two-game losing skid.
They trailed the Spits 3-1 in front of another huge crowd at the South Huron arena, despite hammering Aylmer with 25 shots through 40 minutes.
Safe to say, whatever they heard in the room at intermission made its mark.
In the third period, the Hawks charged back with three straight goals to grab a 4-3 win in front of a reported crowd of 510 fans.
That, paired with a decisive 5-2 road win over the North Middlesex Stars on Saturday evening vaulted the Hawks out of a Thanksgiving slump and back into first place in the Provincial Junior Hockey League’s West Yeck Division.
Spits goalie Riley Legacy deserves a hat-tip, thanks to his 35 saves, and finished as the game’s third star.
Hawks forward Chase Wedlake was the standout performer for Exeter, scoring two goals—including the game-winner with less than five minutes left—and grabbing an assist.
Jackson McLlwain (from Jayce Durand and Jordan Alexander) and Owen Shore (from Wedlake and Carter Bowerman) also scored in the Friday victory.
Aylmer managed just 15 recorded shots on Hawks goalie Tyler Strain, who has otherwise been strong this season, with a 4-1-1 record, 2.49 goals against average and a .903 save percentage.
Saturday in North Middlesex, the Hawks dominated for much of the game.
Owen Shore (from Nolan Grubb and Carter Bowerman) and Nate Schiedel (from Brett Harrogate) scored late in the first period to give Exeter a 2-0 lead.
Shore scored again early in the second (from Dylan Bradburn and Jordan Alexander), and the Hawks added two more goals early in the third to lead 5-0 before a late charge from the home team.
Alexander scored at 5:01 to grab his eighth goal of the season (from Bowerman and Shore), and Rourke McEwan scored at 6:20 (from Jimmy Schiedel and Jayce Durand).
North Middlesex got two late goals from Nick Bannister. Hawks goalie Jack Dalrymple was otherwise impeccable.
The second-year netminder from Exeter picked up his fifth win of the season and carries a 2.24 goals against average and .932 save percentage.
The Hawks and Spitfires tangle again this coming Sunday in Aylmer, after a Hawks home game Friday at the South Huron arena.
Puck drop for Friday’s game against the Mount Brydges Bulldogs is set for 8 p.m.
Goderich Flyers drop a close one
Goderich Flyers fell 4-3 in a shootout to the Mitchell Hawks Friday at the Mitchell arena.
They fell into a 3-0 hole early but charged back with three straight goals (Aidan Terpstra, Kingston Powell and Austin Waite) to tie it 3-3 at the end of regulation.
After a scoreless overtime, Powell scored the only Goderich shootout goal; Mitchell had two goals in the shootout (Owen Holloway and Jonathan Tenhag) to grab the win.
Flyers goalie Christian DeJong had 36 saves in the loss.
On the road Sunday, the Flyers fell 7-0 to the Fergus Whalers.
Next up, the Flyers head to Mount Forest for a Friday tilt against the third-place patriots, followed by a Saturday evening battle on the road with the last-place Kincardine Bulldogs.
One up, one down for Wingham Ironmen
You want the deets on Wingham Ironmen forward Tanner Dietz?
We have the deets!
The canny assistant captain from Mitchell, Ont., was all over the score sheet in Friday’s 8-1 win over the last-place Kincardine Bulldogs.
Dietz had seven points (two goals, five assists) in romp that also drew a hat trick (plus one helper) from Micah Kraayenbrink.
Noah Bloemberg and Logan Burnham rounded out the scoring for Wingham; Burnham added two helpers, and Ironmen goalie Kaleb Meyer had 22 saves.
The Ironmen return to action this coming Friday with a home game against Fergus. Puck drop at the North Huron Wescast Community Centre is set for 8 p.m.
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