Ottawa, ON – The Ottawa Jr. Senators (28-4-2) defeated Pembroke on Wednesday 4-2, Smiths Falls on Friday 5-4, but snapped their 11 game winning streak on Saturday losing to Hawkesbury 4-3.
Wednesday – Ottawa 4, Pembroke 2
The Jr. Sens were off to a terrific start in the first period by outplaying the opposition. Thomas Freel would get the scoring started at 15:14 of the first by scoring his 23rd goal of the season coming on the power play.
After Ottawa killed off a couple of penalties during the first frame, Ottawa would get another chance on the power play with Zac Correia picking a high sticking penalty. The Jr. Sens’ second power-play united went to work and were able to extend the lead 2-0 with David Mabey scoring his 7th of the season.
Momentum switched during the second period when Anthony Provost picked up a double-minor penalty for high sticking. Raphael Seguin gave the Lumber Kings their first goal off a bad-angle shot to cut the lead in half.
Moments later, Jesse Kirkby would score Pembroke’s second power-play goal to tie the game at two. Both Pembroke’s goals came 18 seconds apart.
Ottawa would draw another penalty and were able to capitalize on their third power-play goal courtesy of Massimo Gentile. Philippe Jacques put the game away by scoring his 20th goal this season on a delayed penalty to Pembroke.
Gentile picked up his second GWG of the season while Mabey and Jacques each had 1G/1A. Will Desmarais made 20 saves in the victory. Ottawa’s power play went 3-for-5. Pembroke went 2-for-7 on the power play.
Friday – Ottawa 5, Smiths Falls 4
OJS went to the Smiths Falls Memorial Centre for the third of five meetings of the season. It wasn’t the prettiest start for OJS, they had to kill off over five minutes in penalties to start the game, which set the tone early for Ottawa.
Julian Recine picked up two power-play goals which gave Ottawa a 2-0 lead late during the first frame. Both goals came 1:11 seconds apart. Philippe Jacques continued his goal streak by giving OJS a 3-0 lead early in the second after great passing from Murphy and Nobes.
Late in the second, while on the power play, OJS would allow their first shorthanded goal of the night from Brody Fournier, after Nobes turned the puck over from the neutral zone. James passed the puck down the Fournier whole buries his 19th of the year.
Ottawa went on their sixth power play of the game and once again, they allowed another shorthanded goal from Riley Thompson which cut the lead to 3-2. Robbie Stewart would take a holding penalty with under five minutes left in regulation, which set the stage for a wild finish.
Sean James tied the game on the power play with 4:34 in the game. Owen Watson split the Ottawa defense to go on a breakaway and Zachary Bowen on the backhand. It gave Smiths Falls their first lead of the hockey game with 2:12 left in regulation.
Jake Code came off the bench to be the extra attacker on 6-on-5 and scored on the wrap-around to tie the game at four. Ottawa wasn’t done yet, with 33 seconds left, Tomislav Brennan received a nice pass from Simon Isabelle, to collect his first GWG of the season.
Smiths Falls came very close to tying the game up once again at the end of the third, but the referees deemed that the puck went in the net after the buzzer went to end the game.
Zachary Bowen made 29 saves for his second CCHL win. Shots were 49-33 for OJS and went 2-for-6 on the power play.
Saturday – Hawkesbury 4, Ottawa 3
These teams met up to start the second half of the season back on February 2nd, where OJS picked up a 4-2 win.
Nicholas Lankester was called up from the EOJHL Casselman Vikings to play in his first CCHL game.
Ottawa would take lots of penalties in the first period but were able to kill off all of them to start the game. Philippe Jacques extended his point streak to 14 games by scoring shorthanded. It gives Ottawa their 13th shorthanded goal of the season, which leads the CCHL.
Hawkesbury would tie the game with 12:31 left in the second as Bradley Horner scores his 3rd goal of the season. The momentum switched to the Hawks favor when OJS captain Thomas Freel picked up a five-minute checking from behind penalty and a game misconduct.
In the last three minutes of the second, Hawkesbury would score three power-play goals which gave Hawkesbury a 4-1 lead after 40 minutes. Thomas Cusson, Jakson Kirk, and Rylee Hlusiak each had one power-play goal during that time.
Recine would cut the lead to 4-2 by scoring 2:41 into the third and Simon Isabelle had a power-play goal but it wasn’t enough as Ottawa snapped their 11 game winning streak.
It’s Ottawa’s first loss since November 27th, where they lost 4-3 in overtime against Pembroke. Hawkesbury went 3-for-6 on the power play and Ottawa went 1-for-2. Shots were even at 32.
The Ottawa Jr. Senators’ next game goes on Tuesday night at the Navan Memorial Centre when they take on the Navan Grads. It’ll be Ottawa’s first of five games on the week with puck drop scheduled for 7:30pm. Catch all the action with Davide Disipio and Mason Detre on the Jr. Senators Broadcast Network at mixlr.com/ojsradio.
