Tim Ruhnke – Recorder & Times
Qualifying for the post-season is important, but it’s also about improving the chances for success in the opening round.
Brockville was one of four teams vying for the three remaining playoff spots heading into the second-last weekend of the Central Canada Hockey League (CCHL) regular season. The Jr. A Braves were in seventh place, two points behind Renfrew and two points ahead of Carleton Place and Cornwall entering their game at home against 11th-place Nepean on Friday night.
Renfrew and Brockville were in favourable positions; each team had five games to play compared to three for Carleton Place. Cornwall was blanked 4-0 by league-leading Rockland on Thursday night, leaving the Colts with just two games to go and having to face the Nationals again next Friday, March 13.
Whichever squad ends up with the eighth and final playoff spot will have to go up against Rockland – 48-3 after Thursday’s win and the CJHL’s top-ranked Jr. A team in Canada – in the quarterfinals.
In what could be a preview of another opening-round series, Brockville will take on the Bears in Smiths Falls on Sunday at 4 p.m. By defeating Hawkesbury 5-2 at home Thursday night, the Bears moved closer to securing the two-seed in the playoffs.
Tyson Parker, who had a goal and two assists, was named first star. Logan Heideman picked up the win in net for Smiths Falls. The loss eliminated the Hawks from playoff contention.
Tenth-place Hawkesbury hosted Carleton Place Friday. Smiths Falls played the Navan Grads Friday night. Navan has clinched a playoff berth and is poised to finish fifth overall.
After visiting its County Road 29 rival on Sunday, Brockville will close out its regular season at Renfrew on Tuesday night and then at home against Smiths Falls on Friday, March 13 and Rockland on Sunday, March 15.
After falling 5-2 to the Bears at home Tuesday night, the Braves were unable to move closer to a playoff spot on Wednesday when they lost 6-2 to the 73’s in Kemptville. Will Mullins opened the scoring for the 73’s at 4:49 of the first period. Jacob Kulas made it 2-0 at 9:30, which resulted in the Braves making a goalie switch. Starter Oliver Li was replaced by Nate Galbraith.
The 73’s went up by three when Anthony D’Arienzo scored at 4:58 of the second. Brockville got on the board shortly before intermission; Ryan McNally’s team-leading 20th goal of the season came on a power play.
Travis Ouellette restored Kemptville’s three-goal advantage 16 seconds into the third period. Ouellette scored again at 9:18 to make it 5-1, and a power-play goal by Kulas padded the lead at 10:42.
Brockville defenceman Rylan Vincent scored his first goal as a Brave at 14:27.
Shots were 37-25 in favour of Kemptville. Rylan Donovan picked up the win in net.
The game saw 120 minutes in penalties called.
Kulas, McNally and Ouellette were named first, second and third stars respectively.
The loss dropped Brockville’s record to 21-22-2-5. The win assured Kemptville (32-15-2-1) of home-ice advantage in the opening round of the playoffs. The 73’s trailed third-place Ottawa by one point entering play Friday, when Kemptville was to host Rockland. The 73’s will take on the last-place Lumber Kings in Pembroke Sunday night.
Original Story at Recorder.ca
