Hawks win in a blowout, Ironmen trample Flyers, and high school volleyball gets underway
Good evening!
Lots to cover from a busy weekend in Huron County sports.
Here we go.
Exeter Hawks top Aylmer Spitfires in 7-0 blowout
A three-point outburst from forward Chase Wedlake and a 23-save shutout from goaltender Tim Kerkoff helped the Exeter Hawks to a lopsided win over the Aylmer Spitfires Friday evening.
Wedlake put Exeter on the board 6:18 into the first period on a goal assisted by Mitchell Kenney and Matthew Borland.
The Hawks never looked back.
Exeter forward Ben Nauta scored on a powerplay near the midway point of the opening frame to make it 2-0 (assists from Liam O’Shea and Wedlake), and the Hawks held that lead into the break.
They outshot Aylmer 15-8 in the first period.
Chadd Langlands scored his first goal of the season 1:14 into the second period, assisted by Nick Bedard to make it 3-0 Hawks.
Sam Dupuis padded the lead with another tally at 15:09 (from Wyatt Connelly and O’Shea) and Carter Bowerman scored at 16:51 with assists from Wedlake and Matthew Borland.
The Hawks carried a 5-0 lead into the final frame and struck again early in the third.
Jack McDonald scored his team-leading third goal of the season at 2:14 with an assist from Ryan Gibbings, and Connor Aarts scored his first goal of the year at 11:37.
Cale Johnstone and Ben Nauta assisted on the latter goal.
Kerkhoff, who joined the Hawks in 2021 after two seasons with Aylmer, picked up his first shutout of the season against his former team.
He carries a 2-2 record and 3.14 goals against average for the season.
The Hawks return to action this Friday (Oct. 7) with a home game against the Port Stanley Sailors at the South Huron Recreation Centre.
Game time is 8 p.m.
Wingham Ironmen defeat Goderich Flyers
The Goderich Flyers slipped further into the basement of the PJHL’s North Pollock Division after a pair of weekend losses.
Goderich fell 4-0 on the road vs. the Wingham Ironmen Friday evening, then dropped a 9-2 decision to the Kincardine Bulldogs Saturday at home.
Wingham (2-3-0-0) sits fifth in the seven-team division, one point behind Kincardine and five points behind the first-place Hanover Barons.
Ironmen goaltender Garrett Golley was the Friday game’s First Star, after making 24 saves in a shutout.
He’s one of the league’s top keepers this season with 1.34 GAA and a .947 save percentage.
Wingham’s Noah Wettlaufer opened the scoring Friday at 5:15 in the first period with assists from Austin Becker and Chase Mann.
The Ironmen held a 1-0 lead at the break.
Nate Bloemberg scored at 11:31 in the second period with helpers from Josh Dales and Coleson Fischer, making it 2-0 Ironmen after 40 minutes.
Becker scored at 16:29 in the third period from Turner McKenzie, and Josh Pham solidified the victory with a at 17:49, assisted by Dales.
Goderich goalie Liam McCarthy faced 36 shots and made 34 saves in the loss.
The Ironmen return to action this Friday (Oct. 7), with a home game against the Walkerton Capitals at the North Huron Wescast Community Centre.
Game time is 8 p.m.
Flyers falter in Bulldogs route
Goderich fell into a 2-0 deficit to Kincardine in the game’s first six minutes on Saturday at the Maitland Recreation Centre and couldn’t climb out of it.
After a pair of quick Kincardine goals from Steven Grant and Carter Servais, Flyers defenceman Max Dupuis scored at 6:30 to make it 2-1.
Jake Stecho and Wilder Hoggarth assisted on the Dupuis goal.
The Bulldogs added two more goals from Harrison Muelensteen and Austin Waite later in the frame and entered the break with a 4-1 lead.
In the second period, Kincardine added to the lead with powerplay goals from Jordan Beisel and Kieran Moore, increasing the lead to 6-1.
In the third period, Gavin Gibbons and Carter Servais scored early for Kincardine, and Flyers forward Keegan Greer clapped back with a powerplay goal at 11:17 to make it 8-2.
Jeff Fritzley and Carson Fletcher assisted on the tally.
Kincardine scored again at 13:24 (Gavin Downs, with an assist from Brennan Long) and coasted the rest of the way.
Goderich goalie Liam McCarthy was pulled at 8:23 in the first period after allowing three goals on eight shots. He was credited with the loss.
Thomas Sheldon went the rest of the way in net for the Flyers, allowing six goals on 42 shots.
Goderich will have a chance to bounce back in a Bulldogs rematch this Friday (Oct. 7) on the road in Kincardine.
Then comes a significant test at home Saturday against the first-place Hanover Barons.
Saturday’s game time is 8 p.m. at the Goderich Maitland Recreation Centre.
High school roundup
Senior Boys volleyball (Sept. 29)
Goderich wins 2-0 over F.E. Madill
South Huron defeated 2-0 by Listowel
F.E. Madill wins 2-1 over Central Huron
St. Anne’s wins 2-0 over South Huron
Goderich wins 2-1 over Central Huron
St. Anne’s defeated 2-1 by Listowel
Junior Boys volleyball (Sept. 29)
Goderich wins 2-0 over F.E. Madill
F.E. Madill wins 3-0 over Central Huron
Goderich wins 2-0 over Central Huron
St. Anne’s defeated 2-1 by Listowel
Boys Baseball (Sept. 30)
Central Huron wins 8-7 over St. Anne’s
South Huron wins 6-2 over St. Marys DCVI
Central Huron defeated 4-0 by Mitchell
St. Anne’s defeated 7-2 by Mitchell
South Huron defeated 5-3 by Stratford District Secondary School
Note: This post has been updated to correct a typo in one of the subheads. The Exeter Hawks defeated the Aylmer Spitfires, not the Windsor Spitfires, in Friday’s game. I regret the error and any confusion it may have caused.