Dream season ends for Royals as Vikings win series in seven

One of the most exciting seasons in local Junior B hockey history came to an end Wednesday night as the Casselman Vikings rolled into town and picked up a 6-2 win in Game 7 of their rollercoaster of a best-of-seven series.

The game was played in front of a packed Richmond Memorial Community Centre and easily the Royals’ biggest crowd of the year. There was a large and vocal group of Vikings supporters that made the trip from Casselman.

With their win, the Vikings captured the Eastern Ontario Junior Hockey League’s Martin Division crown. They will now face the Perth Blue Wings for the Barkley Cup and the EOJHL championship.

The Royals had a late first period rally and looked to be in the driver’s seat after the period. Jacob Knickle scored for Casselman in the first period, but then in the last minute of the first, Shane Sullivan and Tyler Cutts scored unassisted goals 11 seconds apart to give Richmond a 2-1 lead heading into the intermission.

In the second period, the Vikings grabbed the momen- tum of the game and the series. Brayden Besner’s goal tied the score, and then Nico Pozzebon and Deklyn Campbell scored 12 seconds apart to give the Vikings a 4-2 lead.

Tyler Stewart put the Vikings up 5-2 with a goal late in the second period.

In the third period, the Vikings went into lockdown mode. Occasionally the puck found its way into the Vikings’ zone, but it was quickly cleared. The frustrated Royals took three consecutive minor penalties in the third period.

The Vikings got their sixth goal after a face off in their own zone. The puck went back to the point, and it took a weird bounce over the stick of the Royals’ defenceman. Besner raced down the ice and blasted a shot into the top corner of the net to make the final 6-2.

Teams Trade Blowouts

With the series tied 2-2, the teams traded blowout shutouts to force a seventh game.

On Sunday, March 26, the Vikings came into Richmond and routed the Royals 9-1.

Tyler Stewart had a hat trick and Alexis Stewart scored twice for the Vikings. Mathieu Clouthier, Kyle Filion, Sebastien Ouimet and Vincent Bastien also scored for Casselman.

Richmond’s lone goal was scored by Simon Yang from Jackson Miller and Thiery Demers.

Two nights later, the Royals were facing elimination as they headed to Casselman. Royals goalie Gabe Arrigo made 37 saves as he shutout the Vikings in a 7-0 Richmond win.

Shane Sullivan, Ryan Sullivan, Robbie DiSilvestro, Tyler Cutts, Dylan Rorwick, Cameron Donaldson and Jackson Dallaire all scored for the Royals.

Game 4 shoutout

The Vikings got a 26save shutout performance from Mael Gendron as they blanked the Richmond Royals 3-0 Saturday, March 25.

The Royals had an early power play, but after that there was a parade of white jerseys heading to the penalty box. Richmond had 32 minutes in penalties to Cassleman’s 14 minutes. The Royals’ penalty killing unit successfully kept the Vikings off the scoreboard nine times. However, the Royals were not able to gain very much offensive momentum throughout the game. royals continues on page 23 royals continues from page 22

After a scoreless first period, the Vikings finally beat Royals’ goalie Gabe Arrigo twice in the second period. Affiliate call-up Cedric Hughes scored first with Alexis Lafrance adding another.

The Vikings continued to pressure the Royals in the third period. With the Richmond net empty, Lafrance potted an empty netter for his second of the game to make the final score 3-0.

Lafrance had two goals and an assist, while Hughes had a goal and two helpers. For the Royals, Arrigo turned in a strong performance, stopping 43 of 45 shots.

Double OT

The Royals jumped into a 2-1 series lead Thursday, March 23 in Cassleman with a 3-2 win in double overtime.

The teams exchanged power play goals in the first 40 minutes, with Sheldon Lyons scoring for the Royals from Tyler Cutts and Ryan Sullivan in the first, and Marc-Olivier McCarthy scoring in the second period for the Vikings.

Shane Sullivan put the Royals ahead 2-1 with a power play goal from Sam McElheran just 32 seconds into the third period. The Vikings, who peppered Arrigo with 18 shots in the third as the Royals were assessed five straight minor penalties in an eightminute span in the period. With 4:47 left in the third period, Lafrance netted the tying goal.

After a scoreless first overtime period, Shane Sullivan scored an unassisted power play goal to give the Royals a 3-2 win. Arrigo stopped 50 of 52 shots for the win.

Vikings Win Game 2

After the Royals won Game 1, the Vikings bounced back with a 3-2 Game 2 win in Richmond Wednesday.

After a scoreless second period, Kyle Filion scored twice to put the Vikings ahead 2-0 in the second.

With less than a minute left in the period, Dylan Rorwick scored his first of the playoffs from Jaidon Genereux and Shane Sullivan to make the score 2-1.

Deklyn Campbell scored midway through the third to restore Cassle- man’s two-goal lead. The Royals got one back with Reid Johnston scoring from Sam McElheran with

16 seconds left to play, but it was too little, too late as the Vikings tied the series with a 1-1 win.

Adult Softball Registration

The Mill Pub on Main Street

Saturday April 8 & 15 11:00 am to 2:00 pm

Mixed Slow Pitch

Men & Women 18 years and up One game a week on Monday or Tuesday Info 613-859-6291 $80.00

Men’s Masters Softball

Men Over 35 (Conventional Pitch) One game a week on Thursdays Info. 613-791-1151 $100.00

General Information manoticksoftall@gmail.com

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