Story by Brock Ormond
Photo: Wellington Dukes/OJHL Images
The Wellington Dukes acquitted themselves well against one of the OJHL’s best units on Thursday night in extending their winning streak to five.
Ethan Murray, Cory Jewitt and Ryan Schaap all had a pair of goals for Wellington in an 8-5 victory over the Haliburton County Huskies in Minden.
The Dukes got to Quinte Red Devils graduate Corbin Votary with three in the first, starting with Quinn McNamara tying the game by burying the rebound off a Jared McNeil shot after Deandres De Jesus opened the scoring for Haliburton.
Murray’s two came on a shot that snuck through off the right wing and on a finish from a setup by Kyle Kavc (first point as a Duke) and Ryan Castle, sandwiching another De Jesus marker.
Those markers successfully chased Votary from the net for Carter Nadon in the second period, and the success continued for Wellington.
Cory Jewitt (11th) and Zach Mascard (7th) cashed in to help keep the Dukes ahead by a 5-3 score.
Schaap got into double digits in goals with his two in the third to increase the lead to four.
Two late Huskies goals in 15 seconds cut the gap, but the Dukes snuffed out the comeback attempt with a Jewitt empty-netter.
Other assists went to Schaap, Mascard, Riley Noble (2), Tyler Tsoukalas (2), Zander Latreille, Logan Sitlani, Sacha Trudel and Alex Hendry.
Yarker, Ont. resident Jacob Brown made 22 stops in his third straight start since being acquired from the OHL’s Flint Firebirds, as Wellington outshot the Huskies 41-27.
The 14-8 Dukes look to continue their winning ways with their first and only meeting against the Buffalo Jr. Sabres at 7:30 p.m. Friday night.
