Golden Hawks and Dukes advance to second round of OJHL playoffs

The Trenton Golden Hawks blasted the Cobourg Cougars 7-0 Saturday at the Community Gardens to eliminate the Cougars in five games in their best-of-seven Ontario Junior Hockey League firstround playoff series.

Trenton 7, Cobourg 0

The G-Hawks opened the scoring 14:03 into the first period when Sam Williamson scored from Jeriah Shantz and Duncan Grube.

They broke the game open with three unanswered goals in the second period to carry a commanding 4-0 lead into the final stanza.

Robbie Rutledge scored from Zev Podolski and Nathan Oickle at 3:08. Sami Douglas-Najem scored shorthanded from Ryan Holmes and David Fournier at 8:35, and Lucas Robinson notched a power play goal from Rutledge at 13:41.

In the third period the G-Hawks added three more goals to complete the rout and the series.

Jordan Fuller scored from Jack Natyshak and Robinson at 1:49, Dillon Stiles scored from Oickle at 2:15, and Oickle scored unassisted at 16:16.

Ben Bonisteel made 33 saves to record the shutout, while Ryan Piros stopped 26 of 32 shots in taking the loss. Matthew Sbrocca stopped nine of 10 shots he faced in relief.

Cobourg 9, Trenton 3

Friday in Cobourg, the Cougars staved off elimination with a dominating 9-3 victory.

Cobourg opened the scoring 15:25 into the first period when George Krotiris scored from Belleville native Trevor Hoskin.

Podolski tied it for Trenton from Robinson at 17:26, but Krotiris restored Cobourg 's lead from Hoskin at 18:34.

The Cougars took control of the contest with four unanswered second period goals. Hoskin scored 25 seconds into the frame, with Jacob Gilbert scoring at 1:28 and Andy Reist scoring at 11:23 and 17:17 to send the teams to the second intermission with Cobourg leading 6-1.

In the final stanza, Trenton got a goal back when Rutledge scored from Fournier at 3:12.

Reist completed his hat trick at 7:37 to make 7-2.

Matthew Cato scored from Adam O'Marra at 9:25 to make it 7-3, but that was it for Trenton, as Carson Durnin scored at 12:00 and Hoskin at 12:51 to round out the scoring.

Piros stopped 27 of 30 shots to record the win, while Ethan Fraser turned aside 10 of 16 shots in relief of Bonisteel who stopped 8 of 11 shots.

Last Wednesday in Game 3 in Trenton, the G-Hawks doubled up on the Cougars 4-2 to take a 3-0 series lead.

The G-Hawks opened the scoring 5:26 into the game when O'Marra scored on the power play from Fuller and Oickle. Cato made it 2-0 at 6:57 when he converted a Mitch Lafay and Eric Bonisteel passing play. Fuller made it 3-0 when he was set up by Cato and Stiles at 8:13.

Cobourg got a goal back when Tyler Hunt scored on the power play with 33 seconds left in the first period.

Cato scored the lone goal of the second period on the power play from Oickle and O'Marra at 19:03.

Hoskin scored for Cobourg on the power play at 4:50 of the third.

Bonisteel made 26 saves for the win, while Piros stopped 35 shots in taking the loss.

Things get much tougher for Trenton (36-15-0-3) in Round 2, as they take on the regular season champion Toronto Jr. Canadiens (45-5-2-2).

Toronto won three of the four meetings this season, with Trenton winning the final meeting 4-3 in overtime.

Game 1 of the best-of-seven series was played Wednesday in Toronto, but results weren't available at press time. Game 2 is set for Friday at 7:30 p.m. in Trenton, with Game 3 back in Toronto Sunday at 7:15 p.m., and Game 4 back in Trenton Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.

WELLINGTON DUKES Wellington 6, St. Michael's 3

The Dukes eliminated the St. Michael's Buzzers with a 6-3 win in Game 5, Friday at the Lehigh Arena.

Jacob Vreugdenhil opened the scoring for Wellington with a power play goal from Edward Moskowitz and Ryan Cutler at 14:00 of the first period.

They made it 2-0 at 3:56 of the middle frame when Nolan Mozer scored from Jared Langdon and Connor Hunt. Barret Joynt then scored from Luke Strickland and Jaxen Boyer at 6:43, and Cutler made it 4-0 on the power play from Julien Jacob and Strickland at 16:42.

St. Michael's scored a pair of late second period goals to give the Dukes a 4-2 entering the third period. Jonathan Morello scored on the power play at 18:39, and Giacomo Martino scored with one second left in the period.

David Campbell made it 5-2 from Jacob Dietz at 12:26 of the third, and Moskowitz scored on the power play from Jacob and Campbell at 15:10.

Ryan O'Toole rounded out the scoring for the Buzzers with a power play goal with 1:26 remaining.

Jacob Osborne stopped 13 of 16 shots in earning the win, while Jacob Gorinsky stopped 32 of 38 shots in taking the loss.

The Dukes now take on the Haliburton County Huskies in the second round, Friday at 7:30 p.m. in Wellington, with Game 2 Saturday in Minden at 4 p.m., and Game 3 back in Wellington Monday at 7:30 p.m., and Game 4 in Minden Thursday at 7 p.m.