By: CP Canadians Staff
After a 2-2-1 start to the season, the Carleton Place Canadians U-18 team struggled through their last five games going 0-3-2 over that span.
The Canadians began with a weekend of three games in three days, starting on Sept. 15 against the Ottawa Jr. Senators U-18 team. An under-manned Carleton Place team put up a good fight only losing 2-1 in a very close game. The Canadians trailed 2-0 when Patrick Larkin scored his first of the season 12:37 into the third period. Brady McEwan kept the Canadians in it with a 32-save performance, but in the end Carleton Place couldn’t get the equalizing goal.
The second game of the weekend was a 3-1 loss coming against Ontario Hockey Academy Maroon. All of the scoring happened in the second period, including a pair of goals from OHA’s Andrej Kiss and Charles-Edward Tardif that came a minute apart. Zach Binotto got one of the goals back but a second goal from Tardif capped off the scoring. Colby Drummond was kept busy in the losing effort as he stopped 37 of the 40 shots he faced.
After losing 3-2 to Smiths Falls earlier in the season, Carleton Place ended their stretch of three games in three days with a tie against the Bears. The Canadians fell behind 2-0 early in the second period but Ethan Woolsey got one back 7:12 into the second period before the bears added two more goals before the end of the period. Mark Webb and Bill Gourgon gave the Canadians early momentum in the third by scoring 0:32 apart. Larkin completed the comeback with his second goal of the weekend, scoring with 2:38 remaining in the game. McEwan struggled in the second but bounced back in the third stopping all six shots he faced, allowing his team to tie the game.
Carleton Place couldn’t carry the momentum from their comeback tie into Saturday’s game against the Hawkesbury Hawks U-18, losing 3-1. The Canadians trailed 3-0 late in the third period before Woolsey ended the shut-out bid with 6:04 left in the game. Carleton Place could not hold off Joshua Desjardins, as he tallied one goal and two assists, three points, in the 3-1 game. Drummond made 26 saves but didn’t get the offensive support in the loss.
The Canadians capped off their most recent five game stretch with a 3-3 tie against the Rockland Nationals U-18 team on Monday. The Canadians got on the board quickly with a goal from Logan LeSage 4:48 into the game. Rockland responded with three straight goals in the second, with a pair coming from Mikael Houle. Binotto get the Canadians back to within one goal 6:51 into the third. LeSage netted his second of the game to tie the game up with 11:34 left in the game. McEwan bookended a poor second period with strong first and third periods, making 24 saves in the tie.
Looking ahead, Carleton Place will be hosting the next U-18 showcase with eight games being played at the Carleton Place Arena on Saturday. During the showcase the Canadians will face CIHA White at 7 p.m. Monday Carleton Place will face the Nepean Raiders U-18 to end the weekend.
