Braves drop two one-goal games in a row despite outplaying opponents – Recorder & Times

Tim Ruhnke – Recorder & Times

They racked up 190 minutes in penalties between them.

The Hawkesbury Hawks edged the Brockville Braves 3-2 on Saturday night. Brockville had also been on the losing end of the same score at home against Navan the previous night.

The Hawks were up on the Braves 2-1 on Saturday when multiple fights broke out just before the midway point of the third period. Two players on each team received game misconducts and eight players in total were assessed at least one major penalty.

When the dust settled, Luke Tchor quickly scored a short-handed goal for Brockville at 9:53 to tie the game. It was his 15th goal of the season.

Alex Fournier got the game-winner for the Hawks on a power play at 14:53. Braves goalie Philip Rondina headed for the bench late in regulation, but Hawkesbury held on for the home win.

Brockville racked up 50 shots on net. Hawks goaltender Dekon Randell-Snow made 48 saves and was named first star.

Fournier and Tchor were the second and third stars. Zach Biniaris’ fourth goal of the year had given the Braves a 1-0 lead in the second period.

Brockville GM and interim head coach Dustin Traylen indicated in an interview Sunday that the penalty sheet overstated the severity of what happened on the ice in the third period. Traylen was pleased with the Braves’ level of play on Saturday.

“We got beat by their goalie,” the bench boss remarked.

Brockville was on the power play for much of the first period; that included a match penalty handed out to the Hawks for shooting a puck at the Braves net while they were still on the ice before the game.

Tchor is tied for second in goals in the Jr. A league. He has 30 points, which is third.

The Grads opened the scoring late in the first period in front of a crowd of 524 at the Brockville Memorial Centre on Friday night. Navan captain Gabriel Crete’s fourth goal of the season came with seconds to go before intermission.

The Jr. A Braves tied the game on Kowin Belsterling’s third goal of the year at 4:12 of the second and then took a 2-1 lead at 8:14 on captain Thomas Haynes’ sixth goal of the season.

The third period belonged to Colin MacDougall, who tied the game on a power-play at 9:21 and then scored what would prove to be the game-winner at 13:22.

The Grads had the edge in shots 34-32. Diego D’Alessandro picked up the win in net for Navan. Sami Molu made 31 saves for the Braves.

MacDougall and Belsterling were named first and second stars. Third star went to Navan’s Max Donohoe, who picked up two assists.

Traylen said he likes the “physical brand of hockey” the Braves are playing, adding they are competing at an intensity level they had been lacking. He believes Brockville outplayed their higher-ranked opponents for the most part on the weekend. Navan is tied for first overall in the 12-team league. Hawkesbury is tied for fourth.

“We have to learn how to win close games,” said Traylen.

Brockville (10-12) is now ninth in the 12-team Central Canada Hockey League, one point behind eighth-place Rockland. The Braves will host Nepean (5-13-0-2) on Friday night; the Raiders are tied with Pembroke for last place.

The St. Mary Catholic High School senior girls basketball team that won the Ontario A championship on Saturday will be honoured before the start of Friday’s game.

Smiths Falls is third overall in the CCHL with a record of 15-7-0-1. Captain Sean James leads the league with 34 points.

Original Story at Recorder.ca