Tim Ruhnke – R&T
They came to life after a slow start at the Sportsplex Sunday.
The Brockville Braves defeated the Raiders 5-3 in Nepean and now have a winning record at 8-7. Luke Tchor’s third goal of the afternoon and 12th of the season proved to be the game-winner at 7:42 of the third period.
Nepean had grabbed a 2-0 lead early in the second on goals from Brayden Potvin and Luke Posthumous, the latter coming on a power play 28 seconds into the middle frame. Tchor responded with a power-play goal of his own less than two minutes later, and Colin Elliott tied the game at 13:57.
Tchor gave the Braves a 3-2 lead at 4:04 of the third and then completed his hat trick. Curtiss Sturgeon cut into the lead with 2:17 to go in regulation. With the Raiders net empty and Nepean being assessed a late penalty, Brockville captain Thomas Haynes sealed the victory by scoring at 19:16.
The Braves outshot the Raiders 42-35. Philip Rondina picked up the win in net for Brockville; Gage Stewart made 37 saves in a losing effort.
Tchor and teammate Lucas Culhane, who picked up two assists Sunday, were named first and second stars. Third star went to Potvin.
The Brockville Braves scored two power-play goals in the first period on their way to a 4-2 win at home against the Rockland Nationals on Friday night. The victory evened the Braves’ record at 7-7.
Colin Elliott’s third goal of the season gave Brockville a 1-0 lead 90 seconds into the game. After Rockland was assessed the first of two high-sticking double minors in the opening periods, Aidan Yarde scored his fifth goal of the year at 5:02. Nicolas White cut the lead in half on a breakaway at 11:40 for his 10th goal of 2022-2023, but Tchor netted his ninth of the season at 18:10 to make it 3-1.
The Braves took a three-goal lead at 8:53 of the middle frame on Kewin Belsterling’s second goal of the year. Charles Locas scored the Nationals’ second goal about a minute later.
Rockland pulled its goalie twice late in the third but was unable to score.
Brockville outshot the Nationals 31-21. Rondina picked up the win in net for the Braves; Ben Grahame made 27 saves for Rockland.
Yarde was named first star. Second star went to Haynes, who picked up an assist Friday night. The third star was Zach Power of the Nationals.
Memorial Centre attendance was listed at 516.
“We were really pleased with Friday,” Brockville head coach Randy Jones said in an interview Monday.
“Special teams have really contributed this year, and it’s good to see,” stated the bench boss, who added it was “a solid effort” all the way around that night.
That wasn’t the case early on in Nepean on Sunday.
“We started out pretty flat,” conceded Jones, who noted that the team has been coming off wins expecting the next one will go the same way “and not realize we have to work that much harder to win the next game.”
The team woke up after a “non-emotional” first period and started digging itself out of a hole, according to the coach. That’s when Tchor took over offensively and came up huge for the Braves, Jones added.
The Braves return to action Friday night when they host the Renfrew Wolves (8-5-1-1).
Elsewhere in the CCHL Friday night, the Smiths Falls Bears won their 11th game of the season with a 4-1 victory at home over Pembroke. Sean James scored his league-leading 16th goal, which ended up being the game-winner in the second period. Will McEvoy made 26 saves in net for the Bears.
Smiths Falls is at Renfrew Wednesday night.
Sean James of the Bears is second in the CCHL in points at 24. Tchor has 23 points and is third.
In Kemptville on Friday night, the 73’s were edged 5-4 in overtime by the Navan Grads. Kemptville netminder Jacob Biron made 38 saves and was named first star. The 73’s (5-6-3-0) will visit Rockland (7-5-1-1) on Sunday afternoon.
Kemptville will host the last-place Pembroke Lumber Kings (3-10-0-1) Tuesday night. Game time at the North Grenville Municipal Centre is 7:30.
Original Story at Recorder.ca
