CPC Under-18 Roundup

By: CP Canadians Staff

The start to the 2018-19 season for the Carleton Place Canadians U-18 team didn’t look promising after a pair of losses, but two wins and a tie in its last three games has turned fortunes around and is starting to generate buzz around the group.

Returning players Michael Patchell and Ethan Woolsey are pacing the Canadians offence with more than a point per game in the first five games of the season – Patchell has three goals and five assists in five games, Woolsey has three goals and two assists in three games played.

Colby Drummond, also back for a second season with the Canadians U-18, has a 2-1-0 record to start the season to go along with a .908 save percentage and a 2.35 goals-against average.

Carleton Place opened the season with three games during the Labour Day Showcase weekend, beginning back on Aug. 31 with a match-up with the Smiths Falls Bears U-18 squad. Keenan Lafreniere scored late in the opening period for a 1-0 lead. Logan Lesage responded to a pair of Bears goals in the second period, but it was Smiths Falls who came out with a 3-2 win to open its season.

The following day, the Canadians dropped another close game, this one a more high-scoring game against the Pembroke Lumber Kings. Neither team scored in the first period, but Carleton Place had a 3-1 lead after the second period thanks to goals from Patchell, Woolsey and rookie Mark Webb. Pembroke peppered new-comer Brady McEwan in the third period with 21 shots, and it paid off with four goals and came back from behind to get a 5-4 win.

The Canadians wrapped up the weekend on a winning note, and in convincing fashion as they beat the Cornwall Colts 5-2 for the first win of the year. Tye Wetzel scored less than a minute into the game to give the Canadians an early lead. Webb and Woolsey scored a pair of goals just 0:31 apart in the second period before the Colts answered with a pair of their own. Webb scored his second of the game 0:13 into the third period to provide some insurance and Logan Lesage helped secure the win scoring four minutes later.

The Canadians-Colts game ended in a physical manner and forced three players – Lesage, Woolsey and Greggory Sheedy – to miss their next game against the CIH Green team. McEwan’s 36-save performance on Saturday ensured the impact of the missing players was minimal as the game ended in a 2-2 tie. After falling behind in the first period, Sean Ireland and Bill Gourgon scored in the third period to give Carleton Place a lead, but a late CIH goal took the victory away.

Carleton Place had to call up Bennett Clarke, Dawson Elgood and Evan Burgess for a second consecutive game on Monday, but missing the three regulars from the line-up did little to hamper the Canadians as they picked up a 4-2 win over the Brockville Braves. Patchell’s three-point game (two goals, one assist) led the Canadians offensively en route to the win. Wetzel and Will Howarth each scored a goal as Drummond stopped 22 of 24 shots he faced to get the victory.

It’s another busy weekend ahead for the Canadians with three games in three days. They start on Saturday with a game against the Ottawa Jr. Senators before facing OHA Maroon on Sunday, ending the weekend with another game against Smiths Falls.