Fergus Whalers dropped by Bulldogs in Lucknow
LUCKNOW – The Fergus Whalers completed their inaugural Provincial Junior Hockey League regular season with a 6-1 loss to the Kincardine Bulldogs Saturday at the Lucknow arena.
Kincardine led 2-0 at the end of the first period before scoring the lone goal of the second.
Ryan McDougall cut the gap back to two goals when he scored at 4:35 of the third for the Whalers. Aidan Mead had an assist on the goal.
However, Kincardine responded with three consecutive goals to complete the scoring in the game.
Jackson Phillips, Liam Colhoun, Tyler Wagler, Kyle Dolmage, Kieran Moore and Gavin Downs had a goal apiece for Kincardine while Dolmage, Carter Servais, Chad Lawrence and Trent Houghton each had two assists while Jordan Moulton, Blake Hellyer, Jordan Beisel and Wilson Shipp each registered one assist.
Kincardine outshot Fergus 40-35 and the Bulldogs scored on their lone power play. The Whalers were scoreless on their only power play.
Richard Cui started in net for Fergus and had 30 saves when he was replaced by Jacob McKenney after Kincardine’s fifth goal at 6:16 of the third. McKenney allowed a goal and had four saves the rest of the way. Ryan Wheeler had 34 saves for Kincardine.
The Pollock Division wrapped up its regular season Saturday. Hanover Barons finished first at 36-4-0-2 (W-L-OTL-T) with Mount Forest Patriots (32-7-3-0) second, Kincardine (23-12-2-5) third, Fergus (20-17-3-2) fourth, Walkerton Capitals (18-20-2-2) fifth, Wingham Ironmen (17-21-3-1) sixth, Mitchell Hawks (11-26-3-2) seventh and Goderich Flyers (3-35-2-2) eighth.
The Whalers and Walkerton Capitals are to meet in a best-of-seven division quarter-final. Dates for the series have not been announced.
Fergus and Walkerton met six times in the regular season with the Whalers winning four times and the Capitals getting two wins, one in overtime.
Walkerton won the first two meetings of the season, taking the first one 3-2 in overtime at the Centre Wellington Community Sportsplex Oct. 1 and the second one 5-1 at the Walkerton Community Centre Oct. 28.
The Whalers won the other four — 2-1 at Walkerton Nov. 24, 6-2 at Walkerton Dec. 20, 8-4 at Fergus Jan. 7 and 4-3 at Fergus Feb. 18.
- Guelph Sports Journal