WINGHAM – Players, goaltenders and staff for the Wingham Ironmen did not want to give up on their season, pushing the squad’s fourth and final game to five overtime periods before losing 5-4 to the Hanover Barons on Feb. 27.
Nearly 260 people watched the match , which was the fourth of the best-of-seven series between the Barons and the Ironmen, and the second game in the series that week, with Hanover downing Wingham 6-3 in Hanover on Feb. 25.
The Ironmen’s post-season drive is now over after having finished in last place in the Provincial Junior Hockey League’s (PJHL) North Pollock Division in the regular season.
Hanover 6, Wingham 3
On Feb. 25, the Hanover Barons hosted the Wingham Ironmen in game three of the first round of the PJHL post-season for both North Pollock Division teams. The Barons entered the game leading the series 2-0.
The Ironmen were outshot, and, unlike previous games, the special teams for the Ironmen met by the Barons, with both teams scoring on the powerplay.
Hanover’s Alex McGillivray scored the only goal of the first period, assisted by Aaron Dukeshire and Hudson Blackburn.
The Barons took control of the scoreboard until the third period after that, scoring three unanswered goals in the second period. Jack Kruiderink scored less than two minutes in, assisted by Jaden Shiell, followed by two powerplay goals by Wylie Birkett (assisted by Dukeshire and Mason Eurig) and McGillivray (assisted by Kruiderink and Eurig).
The third period saw Wingham score three unanswered goals, starting with Kaeden MacDonald assisted by Carter Murray and Nate Fritz. Jesse Coombs then scored a powerplay goal for the Ironmen, assisted by MacDonald and Noah Bloemberg before Carter Coombs scored assisted by Jesse Coombs and Jack McDonald.
McGillivray then finished his hat-trick for the game, giving the Barons an insurance goal assisted by Nate Binkley and Brody Verbeek. Brady Hamlin would have the last word in the game, scoring-wise, with an empty-net, unassisted goal.
Nolan Brown earned the win in net for the Barons, stopping 24 of 27 shots, while Wingham’s James Hopper stopped 26 of 31 shots.
Each team served four penalty minutes over two infractions.
Hanover 5, Wingham 4
The final game of the Hanover-Wingham series saw goaltenders for both the Barons and Ironmen facing a lot of rubber with the Barons putting 87 shots on net and the Ironmen 65. The Barons would claim the win, but only after five overtime periods.
Hanover’s Kruiderink scored first just over seven minutes into the first period, a powerplay effort assisted by Dukeshire and Connor Paige. Wingham’s Fritz responded less than half a minute later with a marker assisted by Bloemberg and Murray.
The second period saw Wingham jump to a one-goal lead before the third period with goals from Brandon Bishop (assisted by Noah Wettlaufer and Dawson Dietz) and McDonald. McDonald’s goal was a powerplay effort assisted by Jesse Coombs.
Hanover’s McGillivray cut the Ironmen’s lead to one with a powerplay goal with less than 20 seconds left in the second. The marker was assisted by Hanover netminder Derek Hartley and Paige.
Early in the third, Wingham’s Bishop bought some insurance with a goal assisted by Dietz and Carter Coombs, however Jack Kruiderink would tie the game with a powerplay goal assisted by McGillivray and Eurig and an unassisted shorthanded goal, earning a hat trick.
From there, both teams held fast for four overtime periods before, just under four minutes into the fifth period, McGillivray broke the stalemate with a goal, assisted by Binkley and Dukeshire. As a result of the overtime periods, the game ran for five hours and five minutes before the Barons ended the game and the series.
Hanover’s Kruiderink was the first star, followed by Wingham’s Bishop and Colin Gibbings, the netminder who stopped 82 shots, staying on the ice for a total of 143 minutes and 48 seconds. Hartley earned the win in net, stopping 61 of 65 saves.
The Barons served 12 penalty minutes on six infractions, while the Ironmen served 16 on eight infractions.
Watch Midwestern Newspapers for future coverage of the PJHL playoffs.
