Sports
December 04, 2008 09:59 PM
LAST WEEK: Friday vs. St. Michael’s Buzzers 4-2 loss; Sunday vs. Toronto Junior A Canadiens 7-4 loss. Now 16 wins, one overtime win, two shootout wins, 10 losses, 38 points. Third place in Central Division.
COMING UP: Friday vs. Newmarket Hurricanes, 8:15 p.m. at Angus Glen Community Centre; Sunday at Wellington Dukes, 6:30 p.m.
GAME NOTES: What began as a strong November for the Waxers ended in a less-than-stellar fashion as their seven-game winning streak came to a halt over the weekend with a pair of setbacks. Playing at St. Michael’s College School Arena Friday, the Waxers fell 4-2 to the Buzzers. The host Buzzers took a 1-0 lead after one period and scored the first goal of the second period to pad their advantage. But the Waxers countered on a power-play goal from Dylan O’Neil and an even-strength tally by team captain Giancarlo Iuorio with just over two minutes left in the frame to even the count. But the Buzzers scored twice in the final frame to win the game. The Buzzers outshot the Waxers 29-18. In another road tilt Sunday, the Waxers got into a first-period shootout with the host Toronto Junior Canadiens before falling 7-4. With the score tied at 4-4 just past the midway point of the opening period, the Junior A Canadiens capitalized on two power-play opportunities to take a 6-4 lead into the dressing room. After a scoreless second period, the Junior Canadiens put the game on ice with a late goal. Iuorio accounted for all four Waxers’ goals in the opening frame, including one just five seconds into the match. Shane Ferguson collected three assists for the Waxers, who were outshot 51-42. Chris Azzano began the game in goal for the Waxers and allowed five goals on 20 shots in just under 12 minutes of work. Daniel Jones relieved Azzano for the rest of the way and stopped 29 of 31 shots.
INSIDER: The Waxers lost the services of defenceman David Jarick Sunday after he incurred a separated shoulder. Waxers’ general manager and head coach Joe Cornacchia anticipated Jarick could be out of action for at least three weeks.
As a means of replacing Jarick, the Waxers bolstered their defence by acquiring a pair of defencmen in Brad Langford, 18, from the Lindsay Muskies and Adam Miceli, 19, from the St. Michael’s Buzzers. Both came for future considerations.
Langford had two goals and eight assists in 25 games this season with the Muskies. Miceli, a Woodbridge native, had two goals and eight assists with the Buzzers this year. Last year he split time between the Aurora Tigers and Buzzers.
Off the ice the Waxers dealt defenceman Garrett Trainor to the Aurora Tigers for future considerations Sunday. In 18 regular season games this season, the 19-year-old Trainor had two assists. As well, the Waxers received future considerations for forward Greg Whittle from the Stouffville Spirit.
GENERALLY SPEAKING: “Our winning streak ended with a thud,” Cornacchia said. “I think some of these players were believing they didn’t have to work as hard as they had to work to be successful.”
As for Sunday’s wild game, Cornacchia acknowledged he had never experienced one like that in which eight goals were scored in the first 10 minutes of the opening period.
“It was a weird game. Up front Toronto has a lot of weapons and our back end didn’t look after things properly.
“We almost thought it would be whoever took the last shot would win. But in the second and third periods we tightened things up and we had enough scoring chances to win the game.
“But it’s not the amount of goals you score, but rather the amount of goals you prevent that win games.”