Bring on the Ice!

Article by I. Schoonderbeek/Media by R. Mansfield

The Clarington Eagles will battle for the Orr Division Championship for the third consecutive season.

The Eagles scored two goals in the third period on Thursday night at Garnet B Rickard Recreation Complex to defeat the Lakefield Chiefs 3-1, ending their second round series four games to one.

Despite a 28-point difference in the regular season standings between the two clubs, the Chiefs proved to be a tough test for the defending back-to-back Eastern Conference Champs. Each game in the series leading up the Thursday’s contest had been a tight checking, hard hitting affair. Game five was no different.

After 20 minutes of scoreless hockey, Lakefield opened the scoring nine minutes into the second period when Ethan Yantha was allowed to walk in alone on Oliver Webster for his third playoff goal.

But the Lakefield lead would not last long. With Eagles defenseman Nolan Matheson in the box for slashing, Kyle Smith found Trevor Urquhart on a two-on-one short-handed rush. For Urquhart, who had struggled to find the back of the net over the final nine games of the regular season, the tally was his 11th in nine post season games. Good for second among all in PJHL playoff goal scorers.

The dynamic duo struck again at 9:28 of the third period. This time Urquhart slid a short backhand pass to Smith at the bottom of the faceoff circle. Smith beat Chiefs starter Sean Grey, a former Clarington Toro who was playing his final junior game, with what stood up to be the game winner.

Jordan Shaw added an insurance marker five minutes later, driving around a defender before cutting to the net and tucking the puck around Grey’s outstretched pad.

Webster was outstanding in net once again for the Eagles, stopping 23 of 24 shots for his fourth post-season win.

Eagles coach Dean Baumhauer had nothing but praise for their second-round opponents. “Lakefield had good goaltending, their D are big, and they’ve got enough skill up front to make them dangerous,” he said. “They had some success against us because they played heavy. They came out hitting and we’re banged up a little after five games. They’re just a good hardhat/workboot team.”

“We weren’t good for the first two periods at all tonight,” Dean continued. “Especially considering we were playing a team facing elimination. But I was happy with our third. Everybody played hard. And our top guys played great all night. We only allowed one goal in the four games we won. Were we perfect…? No. But I’m hoping some lessons were learned in this series.”

“We showed what we are all about in the third period,” added assistant coach Jamie Showers. “We know what we want to achieve and what we have to do to get there. We take what’s thrown at us and we try to adapt, or we play our game and force them to adapt. It’s all part of the process. It’s a long haul, and you can’t get too high or too low along the way. We’ve got to be even- keeled and keep pushing through.”

The tight checking series ultimately came down to rock solid defense, great goaltending, and some timely scoring. The Eagles defense held the Chiefs to less than 23 shot per game over the five games, with Webster and Jude Rondina picking up three shutouts between them along the way.

The team’s tinkering with the lineup leading up to the trade deadline appears to have had the desired effect. The Clarington blueline now has seven skaters who could easily be considered top-four D-men on any other PJHL club. “I can look down that bench and just say ok, next man up!” said Showers. “They all understand the game, and they know how to execute when needed. That’s a luxury we’re afforded, and one you want to have to go where we want to go on this playoff run.”

It is certainly a luxury that will be needed in the Orr Division final, when the Eagles face the high-octane offence of the Georgina Ice. Clarington won five of the seven games between the rival clubs during the regular season. But previous results will be of no importance going forward. The two clubs had established themselves as the class of the division months ago and have likely had this matchup in the back of their minds for most of the season.

It should be a hell of a series. May the best team win.

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