Rockets extend streak to five with win over Metcalfe; final home game before Christmas break set for Dec. 16
Local team also hosts visiting Swiss junior squad for Dec. 29 exhibition game
The Rockets’ Launch Pad
by Rob Sadler
North Dundas Rockets General Manager
The North Dundas Rockets played host to the Metcalfe Jets on Saturday night and pushed the club’s winning streak to five with an 8 to 2 win on home ice. The Rockets, now 13-5 have seemed to overcome the offensive woes that plagued them for a stretch in early November; scoring 44 goals during the last 5 wins.
The first period Saturday night had a great pace to it with the Rockets opening the scoring at 5:28 of the period when Landon Veenstra buried a rebound on a shot from by Tom Fingler and Brodie Barkley. The period would end with the Rockets up 2 to 0 after Shawn Simms finished off a back door play set up on a cross ice pass by Bryden van Kessel, who in turn, was set up by Connor Roth on a great inside-out play from the corner.
Metcalfe Jets opened the scoring in the second on the Power Play on a goal by Sebastien Roy (William Lachappelle, Dylan Nixon). Leading to 2 to 1 as the period progressed, the Rockets would get some insurance when Connor Roth scored off the face off, walking around the opposing center and delaying to beat Jets goaltender Reilly Tondreau at 16:55 to give North Dundas a 3 to 1 lead heading into the final frame.
The Rockets would come out in the third scoring a string of four goals in six minutes starting on the Power Play when Brodie Barkley ripped a slap shot by Tondreau with the assists going to Brad Stitt and Landon Veenstra at 16:55. Justin Lefebvre led the next offensive charge on his own down the left side with a bullet to the right side of the net at 14:28. Bryden Vankessel (Tom Fingler, Connor Roth) on the PP at 11:20; Landon Veenstra (TomFingler, Jace Legue, 10:42) would round out the six minute scoring spree in the third. Bryden Vankessel scored the eight and final Rockets goal on the Powerplay at 4:58 with assists going to Jace Legue and Justin Lefebvre.
As General Manager of the club there’s a lot of positive things going on for this team right now. Our offense seems to be revived, Jason Buma continues to backstop the wins; everyone is contributing within the team, not just for themselves. I think the two major factors during this winning streak start with the defensive efforts by our forwards to get back and help out. It appears as though they have finally realized that we have to back check in order to get the chance at playing offense. The second factor is easily the “consistent approach” message that seems to be circulating through the room as per Head Coach Nik Paas and Associate Coach Lenard Mclean. We have been wearing teams out as games progress; we have built a team that can come in waves every period; a team that can be relentless and consistent each game.
Next weekend will be the final two games of the regular season leading into the Christmas break. On Saturday night, December 16th, the Rockets will host the St Isidore Eagles, and then on Sunday we will travel to Clarence Creek for a matinee against the Castors at 2:30 p.m.
December 29th, 2017, over the Holiday Break the Rockets will be hosting a junior hockey club from Meyrin, Switzerland in an exhibition match. The puck will drop at 7:30 p.m. at the Chesterville Arena. The Swiss junior club will be traveling through the nations capital the week between Christmas and New Years and will be playing exhibition games in Gatineau against the Volants of the NCJHL on December 28th at the Robert Guertin Arena before making the trip out to Chesterville the next night. We are currently looking for someone or business to become the major sponsor for the evening, there should be a great turn out, and playing that game will be an experience for the guys on our team that they can remember moving forward. Anyone interested in partnering with the Rockets to promote and sponsor this event can contact myself at 613-809-5771 or Kevin Byers at 613-223-0620.
Thank you again to all those who come out to support our local kids and the Rockets, and we will see you all at the rink.
