A 23-save shutout from Tyler Hodges propelled the Haliburton County Huskies to a hard-fought 1-0 win over the Lindsay Muskies on Jan. 17, in the latest installment of the Ontario Junior Hockey League’s ‘Battle of Hwy. 35’.
It was the 19-year-old netminder’s first shutout since returning to the Huskies in early December. Through 12 games he’s recorded eight wins, three defeats and one overtime loss, with a 2.17 goals against average and .926 save percentage.
After being ambushed by teammates at the final buzzer following a tough road match-up, Hodges felt this was a statement win for a team chasing a top two finish in the East Division. The Huskies currently sit third, eight points back from the Toronto Jr. Canadiens and 13 behind the Trenton Golden Hawks, with one game in-hand.
“That was a huge two points – it’s a tight race at the top. We know we have to be almost perfect [if we want to move up]. So, getting the win, seeing the boys really come together and fight for it – it just keeps building momentum at a big stage of the season,” Hodges said.
Buoyed by a healthy contingent of travelling supporters, the Huskies took control early – with forwards Ty Petrou, Nathan Poole, and Tai York all testing Muskies goaltender Jason Tremblay, who made 19 saves in the opening frame.
There was constant pressure from the visitors in the second, with Poole ringing the iron on a snapshot from the slot about a minute in. Kieran Litterick, playing in his second game as a Husky following a trade deadline move from the Pickering Panthers, broke the deadlock a few seconds later – lifting the puck over Tremblay after being found by Alex Bradshaw. Nolan Ling earned his first assist with the team on the play.
The Huskies had a great opportunity to extend the lead a few minutes later, Poole turning provider for Chase Del Colombo who couldn’t jam the puck home from in-close at the four-minute mark.
Special teams had a chance to show their mettle in the middle frame – while the powerplay ran cold, going scoreless on two opportunities and blanking in four-onfour action, the penalty kill impressed while shutting down three Muskies attempts on the man advantage, two of them without giving up a shot.
Hodges said the team’s unrelenting commitment to defence makes his job a lot easier.
“The guys always come in prepared, and they played a really good game in front of me, really protecting me at key moments. There weren’t too many big chances, especially on the powerplay,” he said.
The netminder stood strong in the third, picking himself up following a late hit by Nole Faulkner after leaving his crease to play the puck, maintaining his shutout.
Huskies 5-4 Wellington
The Huskies kept the in-form Wellington Dukes at arm’s length in the standings after a huge 5-4 double overtime win at S.G. Nesbitt Memorial Arena Jan. 18.
The home side got off to the perfect start in front of a boisterous crowd, with Deandres De Jesus scoring his teamleading 23rd goal of the season with 4:42 on the clock, assisted by York and co-captain Raine Nadeau. Chase Lefebvre, playing in his second game in Minden, doubled the Huskies advantage at 7:15 after being teed up by York and Kaiden Thatcher.
A run of four-straight goals from the Dukes, including a go-ahead tally from former Husky Carson Littlejohn, threatened to sour the afternoon, but York got the blue and white within one with his third of the season 10:14 into the final frame, with Bradshaw and Thatcher recording points on the play. With the ice tilting late on, Petrou blew the roof off with the equalizer at 18:48, assisted by Poole and Ling.
After more than nine minutes of extra hockey, Lefebvre was the hero – beating the impressive Jacob Brown with 46 seconds left on the clock to send the crowd home happy. Declan Bowmaster and Cameron Hankai assisted on the game-winner.
The Huskies are back in action Jan. 24 with a road tilt against the Aurora Tigers, before welcoming the Pickering Panthers to Minden Jan. 25. Puck drop is 4 p.m.
