Seaforth Centenaires win season opener, maintaining Paxton Trophy momentum

BY SHAWN LOUGHLIN

After claiming the Paxton Trophy earlier this year, finishing the 2025/2026 season as kings of the Ontario Elite Hockey League hill, the Seaforth Centenaires appear to have picked up on this season where they left off, beating the Dunnville Aeros by a score of 7-4 in their season opener on Saturday night in Seaforth.

 

The Aeros actually opened the scoring, despite eventually taking the loss, with a Dylan Coers goal just over five minutes into the first period, assisted by Mike Marquis. However, the Centenaires scored two in the period to flip the script. First, Sean Chisholm first found the back of the net with just under six minutes left in the first, assisted by Camden Daigle and Brady Hinz, before scoring his second of the game with 1:19 left in the period, assisted by Luke Fritz and Camden Daigle.

 

Just 36 seconds into the second period, on the power play, Cameron Thorpe tied it up for Dunnville, assisted by Matt Ruigrok, but the teams would continue to go back and forth throughout the second period. 

 

The Centenaires scored the next two goals. Reuben Smith scored just over six minutes into the second, assisted by Luke Fritz and Jarrett Bogdon, followed by a Coleson Fischer goal with 13:12 left in the second, assisted by Braydon Blight and Brady Hinz.
The Aeros scraped back, with Dylan Coers’ second goal of the game just over 11 minutes into the second, assisted by Taylor Barnett and Mike Hicks, but after that it was all Seaforth until it was too late.

 

Brady Hinz scored the eventual game-winner with 5:01 left in the second, assisted by Camden Daigle and Sheldon Pryce, before Chisholm completed his hat trick with just 17 seconds left in the period, assisted by Brady Hinz and Braydon Blight.

 

Just under three minutes into the third period, Hinz scored for Seaforth, assisted by Blight. Then, Dylan Coers completed his hat trick for the Aeros with a power play goal with 7:15 left in the third, assisted by Matt Ruigrok, but it was not enough and the Centenaires won the contest by a score of 7-4.

 

In a winning effort for the Centenaires, Alex Hutcheson stopped 26 of the 30 shots he faced, while Dunnville goaltender Owen McDonnell stopped 35 of 42 shots in a losing effort for the Aeros.

 

The Centenaires are at home again this weekend, hosting the Delhi Flames, with the puck dropping at 7:30 p.m. Next weekend, the Centenaires will play their first road game of the season, in Petrolia to play the Squires on Friday, Oct. 16, followed by a game in Tillsonburg with the Thunder on Sunday, Oct. 18.