Story by Brock Ormond
Photo: Wellington Dukes/OJHL Images
The Wellington Dukes broke out of a three-game funk with a 4-2 doubling of the Pickering Panthers on Friday on the road.
Sacha Trudel led the Dukes with two goals and an assist and got his team’s offence going in the latter half of the second period with a shorthanded marker.
After a goalless first and a Blake Wright tally at 8:23 of the second, Trudel struck just nine seconds into a minor penalty kill, dashing off on a break and deking out Pickering goalie Ian Michelone for the unassisted tying marker.
Wellington continued to pound the net in the third as Frankford native Ben Vreugdenhil banged in a loose puck in front of Michelone at the 4:05 mark of the period, before ex-Panther Zach Mascard slotted in the game-winner more than a minute later.
The Toronto native’s sixth of the season came off of a Pickering turnover and a quick shot as the speedy forward got to the good shooting area to pick a corner on Michelone.
Joey Zhang pierced the net with just under six minutes to play in regulation, but Trudel polished off the win with a late empty-net goal to help the Dukes improve to 10-8 on the year.
Besides Trudel’s three-point night and the other three markers, Logan Sitlani, Quinn McNamara, Riley Noble and Ryan Schaap all picked up assists in the victory.
Dario Cantini was a winner for the first time as a Duke with 23 saves.
This game is the only one of the weekend for the Dukes, as they will rest from game action until next Friday, when they return home to renew hostilities with the rival Cobourg Cougars at 7:30 p.m.
