By: Daniel Vazzoler
The Carleton Place Canadians came back from the holiday break on Friday with a road game against the Hawkesbury Hawks and left with a 2-1 win in over-time.
Carleton Place controlled the game throughout, spending much of the game in the attacking zone. But, the Canadians struggled to find ways to beat Dimitri Pelekos to make the comfortable 45-21 advantage in shots into a comfortable advantage on the scoreboard.
Gino Colangelo opened the scoring late in the first period, converting on the rebound opportunity in front of Pelekos. Matteo Disipio deflected the Cole McGuire point-shot, that Pelekos couldn’t handle, and Colangelo gathered the loose puck and chipped it over the sprawled-out goaltender.
Alex Fournier tied the game in the opening minute of the second period as he beat Joe Chambers after kicked out the rebound into the slot and the Hawks forward was the first to get it.
Despite its best efforts, Carleton Place failed to convert on the 35 shots it had in the final two periods of regulation. Chambers ensured his team picked up at least the one point by stopping 20 of 21 shots in the game, including 14 saves in the second and third periods combined to get to over-time.
In the extra frame, Disipio played the role of over-time hero by tallying the game-winning goal. Derek Hamilton extended his point-streak to 23 games with an assist on the goal. Pelekos stopped Hamilton’s initial chance off the rush but he got his own rebound before finding Disipio in the slot. A quick backhand-to-forehand move got Pelekos out of position and allowed Disipio to slide the puck into the open net.
The return from the break also marked the return of a number of key bodies to the line-up. The break gave the likes of Will Soloway and Owen Brady a chance to rest, recover and reset for their return to action, but also brought the return of Bill Gourgon to the Canadians – who we re-acquired from the Blackfalds Bulldogs of the AJHL.
After leading the team in scoring last year with 37 points in 38 games, Gourgon had amassed 12 points (four goals, eight assists) in 28 games with the Bulldogs in the first half of the year.
The Canadians continue their quick return to action on Sunday against the Navan Grads and Tuesday against the Kemptville 73’s as part of the CCHL Showcase event going on that day. The Canadians return to the Carleton Place Arena on Friday when the Renfrew Wolves come to town.
