Peterborough Blogs
Peterborough U16 AAA Petes Eliminated From OHL Cup After Semifinal Loss
/The journey for the OHL Cup ended for the Peterborough U16 AAA Petes as they suffered a 4-2 loss to the Vaughan Kings in the semifinals of the playoffs at the Scotiabank Pond Rink in Toronto on Saturday night.
The Petes had qualified for the playoffs on tiebreakers with a 2-2 record of the Lindros Division to advance.
Their first opponent was a quarterfinal matchup against the Toronto Nationals who won their division with a 3-1 record.
Toronto drew first blood as Matthew Sarabando scored just over five minutes in for an early 1-0 lead. Peterborough countered quickly as Kaiden Harmon tied it up just 30 seconds after the first goal. The Petes were not done yet as Josh Avery tacked on another for Peterborough just under 90 seconds later for a 2-1 lead heading into the second.
Peterborough put Toronto’s goaltender James Meridith under siege. They peppered him with 14 shots in the period, the most of either team but the score remained the same going into the final frame.
Play was back and forth for almost 12 minutes until Kieran Riley tied the game for Toronto as the period’s only goal.
Overtime ran short as Harmon played the hero for Peterborough, scoring the game-winning goal with an assist from Lucas Moore to advance to the semifinals in a 3-2 win.
Wil McFadden got things started early for Peterborough against Vaughan, scoring 1:55 for a 1-0 lead. Things went downhill for the Petes as they allowed three consecutive goals from Carter Kostuch, Mason Kim and Vasily Serov respectively for a 3-1 deficit after the first period.
Peterborough kept themselves in the game, scoring the second stanza’s only goal from Cohen Bidgood to make it 3-2 into the third.
The Petes did all they could to tie the game, firing 13 shots to Vaughan’s four. Unfortunately, the Kings’s goaltender Aleksei Medvedev stood tall when it counted and stopped them all. Vaughan scored an empty-netter to punch their ticket to the OHL Cup championship as Peterborough was eliminated by a score of 4-2.
The 4-2-0 Vaughan Kings and 6-0-0 Toronto Jr. Canadiens will compete for the OHL Cup title on Monday. These two teams played each other in their first game of the tournament with the Canadiens winning in a 5-1 convincing fashion on Wednesday morning.
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Peterborough U16 AAA Petes Clinch OHL Cup Playoff Berth Despite Back-To-Back Losses
/Despite losing their last two round-robin games, the Peterborough U16 AAA Petes are limping into the OHL Cup playoffs with a 2-2 record at the Scotiabank Pond Rink in Toronto on Friday.
The Petes shared their 2-2 record with the Mississauga Rebels and Northern Ontario Hockey Association in the Lindros Division of the OHL Cup but had won out on tiebreakers.
The Petes had a good start, winning two straight games against the Northern Ontario Hockey Association (4-1) and Don Mills Flyers (6-1) on Wednesday and Thursday respectively. Josh Avery, Wil McFadden and Kayden Buller scored a goal in each game while goaltender Masen Johnston rolled off back-to-back wins for Peterborough. The team rang off 10 consecutive goals during that two-game span.
Peterborough had a double-header on the final day of round-robin play, playing two games on Friday (one at 8:30 a.m. and another at 1:45 p.m.) before playoffs began.
Their third game was against the Waterloo Wolves and fell behind early, seeing a 2-0 deficit after 10:38 of play. Both teams traded goals since then up until 7:50 into the third period as Noah Vandenberg gave Waterloo a two-goal cushion, scoring and making it 5-3 late in the game. McFadden gave the Petes a jolt, scoring on the power play just over three minutes later to cut the deficit in half. Cohen Bidgood tied the game 1:38 later to make it 5-5 as overtime was required to determine a winner.
The victor was decided just under five minutes into the extra frame as the Wolves’s Brady Martin banged in his second of the game to give Waterloo a 6-5 overtime win over Peterborough.
The Petes played the Mississauga Rebels in a matinee game to round out their round-robin play. The Petes found themselves killing off a penalty but were rewarded with a shorthanded goal from Max Seon to go up 1-0. Peterborough conceded the next three goals from the Rebels early in the third period. The Petes mustered an empty-net goal thanks to Avery but it was too little, too late as they fell in a 3-2 loss.
The Petes start their playoff run against the Toronto Nationals in a quarterfinal matchup with puck drop at 11:45 a.m. on Saturday. The latter was the division leader in their round-robin bracket with a 3-1 record.
Special Teams Give Peterborough Petes Give 4-2 Win Over Sudbury Wolves, Lead 1-0 In Playoff Series
/The Peterborough Petes were scoring in multiple ways with their special teams and take game one in their first-round playoff series against the Sudbury Wolves in a 4-2 win at the Peterborough Memorial Centre (PMC) on Thursday night.
Sudbury opened the scoring with an odd-man rush with a goal from Quentin Musty beating Petes goaltender Michael Simpson for a 1-0 lead. Peterborough struggled to find the back of the net after 16 shots, unable to solve Kevyn Brassard. As things looked worse for Peterborough after getting a late penalty from Donovan McCoy in the last minute of the period, Jonathan Melee turned the momentum around. Avery Hays forced a turnover and Melee scooped up the loose puck. He fired a shot that was blocked and went wide but bounced back to him and buried it, shorthanded with three seconds left to tie the game at 1-1. The Petes would lead in shots 17-8, their most in a period this game.
Sudbury struck again on the odd-man rush as David Goyette fed Matthew Mania for a one-timer that got past Simpson again to restore their one-goal lead, 2-1. The Petes came close on several occasions but hit the post multiple times in the period. Peterborough appeared to be in trouble again as they had a delayed penalty call against them that became the game’s turning point. Musty retreating in his own zone passed the puck intended for Jakub Chromiak. The latter failed to corral it and have it slip into the net for an own goal in an incredibly strange sequence. Melee was credited for the score, his second of the night.
The Petes took over in the third period as they capitalized on their powerplay opportunity. Hayes scored on a one-timer with a pass from Brennan Othmann behind the Wolves’ net to make it 3-2. Hayes added an empty netter as the dagger for a 4-2 Petes win. Michael Simpson stopped 26 of 28 for his first career playoff victory as the Petes lead the playoff series 1-0 in a best-of-seven series over Sudbury.
The Petes stay at home for game two on Friday night at the PMC against the Sudbury Wolves with the puck drop at 7:05 p.m.
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Two Local Girls Competing In OWHL U22 Elite Hockey Championships As Underagers
/It’s a massive call-up for 15-year-olds Molly Farace and Avery Johnston as they are participating in the Ontario Women's Hockey League U22 Elite Hockey Championships as underage players in a three-day tournament from Friday to Sunday at the Westwood Arena in Etobicoke.
Farace is a right-winger and is playing for the Whitby Wolves in Pool A while Johnston, also a right-winger is with the Central York Panthers in Pool C.
Both girls took the leap in age groups, skipping U18 (Midget) and going straight to U22.
“It's definitely a big jump from where we came,” explained Farace. “The physicality and the pace of the game change so much. It's a big thing to adapt to.”
“I feel I'm definitely a lot more comfortable at the end of the season than at the start,” said Johnston. “I grew up playing hockey playing with all my best friends. We became a family but then I went to a whole new team of older girls. I was so nervous but they treat me like their younger sister.”
They are continuing to develop their skills as they face stiffer competition with U22 women but they understand that this tournament is going to be a significant learning experience heading into Etobicoke.
“I hope I learn new skills and when I'm playing against them, I'll take away things from them,” explained Johnston. “I definitely want to play my own game but adapt and expand my game. We just need to see if we can handle to pressure of the weekend.”
“I just need to play my game and do what I'm best at to perform this weekend,” said Farace. “The results will take care of themselves.”
The opportunity to play with the U22 women is still surreal to both girls as they have been waiting for this opportunity to play at a high level of hockey.
“I would always get nervous from getting cut from the Midget team because I'm so much younger,” said Johnston. “Growing up and pushing myself to be able to be in this situation, now I realize how much it paid off and looking back, it's just great to be here.”
Farace’s goal is to eventually play for a provincial or national team while Johnston wants to get a scholarship to play hockey or lacrosse abroad and make a national team.
Peterborough Hockey Association Sending Seven Teams to OMHA Championships
/The Peterborough Hockey Association (PHA) has the most successful season in their history; sending 7 teams to represent the Maroon and White at OMHA Championship Tournaments.
Over the next two weekends, 7 teams will compete at the OMHA Championship Tournament. The PHA congratulated and wish the best of luck to all the players for their hard work and dedication, and to the coaching staffs for their relentless efforts in development and commitment to their team’s success.
“We’ve placed second in Lakeshore for sending teams to Whitby, who actually has two teams in almost every division and they sent 11. We have half as many teams and still sent 7, so we’re really happy with our season this year,” explained PHA president Mike Heffernan.
Pete’s teams at the OMHA Championship Weekends:
U10AA Date: March 31-April 2. Location: Kingston
U13 AA Date: March April 7-9. Location: Kingston
U14BB Date: March 31-April 2. Location: Windsor
U14AA Date: April 7-9. Location: Kingston
U15A Date: March 31-April 2. Location: Whitby
U15AA Date: April 7-9. Location: Kingston
U16A Date: April 7-9. Location: Whitby
The Association also congratulated the U15AA and U16 A teams and staff as they placed first and captured the Lakeshore Championships banners for their respective divisions.
“It feels great, especially coming out of COVID and trying to build these programs and the kids back up. It’s great to have Peterborough represented so well, it shows the success and dedication of all the players and coaches,” concluded Heffernan.
2023 Inductees Announced for the Peterborough & District Sports Hall of Fame
/Seven names are headed to the Peterborough & District Sports Hall of Fame as they announced their class of 2023 inductees on Wednesday.
The induction ceremony is set for June 10 at the Peterborough & District Sports Hall of Fame in the Peterborough Memorial Centre at 7 p.m.
The following are this year’s inductees:
Ed Arnold - Builder - Media
Randy Bryan - Athlete - Lacrosse
Mollie Cartmell - Builder - Administration
Steve Fredericks - Athlete - Golf
Kerry Huffman - Athlete - Hockey
Erin Kent - Athlete - Synchronized Skating
Carolyn Cameron is being recognized as an honourary member for her contribution to the Hall of Fame with the annual golf tournament and website management in particular. Cameron has been a long-standing volunteer and a Board of Directors member.
Peterborough Petes Commemorate Staff and Players in Annual Year-End Ceremony; President Dave Pogue Announces Retirement
/To mark the end of the regular season, Peterborough Petes staff, family and friends attended the team’s annual year-end awards ceremony at The Venue on Tuesday.
Speeches were made by Dave Pogue, team president; Rob Wilson, head coach and Shawn Spearing, captain and defenseman prior to the awards being announced. Pogue had announced his retirement as president of the club at the end of June after a seven-year tenure.
“It’s time for a new voice,” he said during his speech. “Thank you for the relationships that I’ve been able to build with you because that’s what means the most to me.”
This was the first awards ceremony held in person since the 2018-19 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The following awards were presented to staff and players:
Mark Teevens Memorial Award (most assists) – Tucker Robertson (54 assists)
Ed Redmond Memorial Trophy (scholastics and hockey) – Chase Lefebvre
Outboard Marine Veterans Award (sportsmanship and ability) – Michael Simpson
Black’s Family Trophy (rookie of the year) – Liam Sztuska
Vince and Lottie Garvey Award (off-ice contribution) – Lynda Johnson (Longtime 50/50 Seller and Petes Booster Club member)
Molson Cup (most three-star selections voted by media) – Tucker Robertson (Also won in 2021-22)
Donnie Marsh Memorial Trophy (most dedicated to team) – Donovan McCoy (Also won in 2021-22)
Ed Rowe Memorial Award (most goals) – Avery Hayes (43 goals)
Norm Bryan Award (most improved player) – Jonathan Melee
Ushers Trophy (best defenceman) – Samuel Mayer (Also won in 2021-22)
Bill Bennett/CKPT Memorial Award (leading scorer) – Tucker Robertson (90 points)
Gary Dalliday Award (community service) – Konnor Smith (Also won in 2021-22)
Petes Executive Trophy (most valuable player voted by teammates) – Tucker Robertson (Also won in 2021-22)
The Board of Directors and Alumni Association recognized and presented gifts to graduating and overage players that include the following:
Michael Simpson
Cam Gauvreau
Samuel Mayer
Brian Zanetti
J.R. Avon
Connor Lockhart
Tucker Robertson
Jax Dubois
Chase Stillman
Brennan Othmann
Gavin White
Avery Hayes
Shawn Spearing