Wingham Ironmen drop first three games to Hanover in semifinal

BY DENNY SCOTT

After last weekend, the Wingham Ironmen sat on the brink of elimination at the hands of the first-place Hanover Barons, having lost a pair of games to add to last week’s game one loss in the best-of-seven semifinal series.

In the semifinal round of the Provincial Junior Hockey League North Pollock Division playoffs, the Barons have handed the Ironmen three close losses in the first three games of the series. On Tuesday, March 22, the Barons posted a 2-1 win at home, followed by a 3-1 road win on Friday and a 2-1 home win on Saturday. The next and potentially last game of the series was set for March 30 in Wingham, however a score was unavailable as of press time. Subsequent games are scheduled for April 1 in Hanover, April 2 in Wingham and April 3 in Hanover if necessary.

The Ironmen entered the series on a strong note, having posted two back-to-back wins to close out the quarterfinal series against the Kincardine Bulldogs. However, the team couldn’t find its footing in the first three games of the semifinals.

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On Saturday, March 26, the Hanover Barons posted a 2-1 overtime win against the Ironmen, partly thanks to outshooting Wingham 36-25.

Wingham’s lone goal was scored by Evan Visser in the first period and assisted by Kyle Stanbury, while Hanover’s tying goal, also in the first period, was scored by Ryan Goetz and assisted by Samson Walsom. Owen Torrie got the game-winning goal in overtime for the Barons, assisted by Dean Sealey, after neither team could find the back of the net through the second and third period.

Riley McCabe earned the win for the Barons, stopping 24 of 25 shots while Devon Carson was in net for the Ironmen, stopping 34 of 36 shots.
Each team served 20 penalty minutes over 10 infractions.

Hanover’s Walsom took the first trip to the penalty box 30 seconds into the game with a two-minute roughing minor. 
Wingham’s Jonah Burley was assessed back-to-back two-minute penalties for high sticking and cross checking.

Hanover’s Ryan Colquhoun was assessed a two-minute roughing penalty, followed by Wingham’s Josh Pham serving a two-minute holding penalty. Pham’s teammates Dawson Fahrer and David Kozak then served two-minute cross checking and tripping penalties, respectively. Hanover’s Walsom took a second penalty late in the first for interference (two minutes) followed by Wingham’s Fahrer being assessed a two-minute slashing penalty as the period ended.

The second period saw Hanover take four back-to-back penalties including Dean Seley (two minutes for interference), Torrie (two minutes for slashing), Jonah White (two minutes for high sticking) and Bryan Richardson (two minutes for tripping).
Hanover’s Drayton Howell served the first penalty of the third period with a two-minute tripping call. An incident at the 9:27 mark in the period saw two Wingham players, Kozak and Visser, penalized two minutes each for roughing and interference, respectively, and Hanover’s Richmond penalized for roughing (two minutes).

The overtime period saw Wingham’s Dana Smith take a two-minute holding penalty two minutes into the extra time. Hanover’s Byran Richardson then served a two-minute tripping penalty, as did Wingham’s Ben Wyatt.

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Despite being outshot 22-21, the Barons were able to post a 3-1 victory over the Wingham Ironmen on March 25.
Hanover’s Walsom opened the scoring for the game with a first-period marker assisted by Colquhoun and Kyle Detweiler.
Wingham’s Fahrer marked the Ironmen’s only goal of the game several minutes later. The power play effort was assisted by Stanbury and Coleson Fischer.

The Barons would score two unanswered goals in the second period to secure the win. The first marker was scored by Colquhoun and assisted by Dylan Richardson and Bryan Richardson.

Bryan Richardson then got the insurance goal assisted by Colquhoun. There was no scoring in the third period.
McCabe earned the win for the Barons, stopping 21 of 22 shots, while Carson was in net for the Ironmen, stopping 18 of 21 shots.

The Barons served 10 penalty minutes over five infractions while the Ironmen served eight minutes over four.
Goetz, of the Barons, had the only penalty in the first period with a two-minute tripping call. Hanover players then served three back-to-back penalties, the only ones called in the second period, including Tyson Lina (two minutes for slashing), Trent Verbeek (two minutes for cross checking) and Chris Ferri (two minutes for hooking).

Hanover’s last penalty of the game was the first of the third period as Sealey served a two-minute cross checking penalty. Wingham then had four back-to-back two-minute penalties called against Chris Adyls (slashing), Stanbury (boarding) Pham (slashing) and Stanbury again (roughing).

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After a scoreless first period, the Barons were able to score two goals to secure a win over Wingham despite the Ironmen having a late-game surge on March 22.
The Ironmen outshot the Barons 35-34, but couldn’t find the net until the last minute of play.

Hanover’s first goal was scored late in the second period by Torrie, assisted by Ferri.

With less than five minutes left in the third, the Barons struck again with Colquhoun scoring a marker assisted by Dylan Richardson and Drayton Howell.

At exactly the 19-minute mark, Burley scored for Wingham, assisted by Visser and Fischer.
McCabe earned the win for the Barons, stopping 34 of 35 shots, while Carson was in net for the Ironmen, stopping 32 of 34 shots.

The Ironmen served 12 penalty minutes over six calls, while the Barons served 14 over seven.
Hanover’s Colquhoun served a two-minute tripping penalty in the first period. Wingham’s Fahrer and Hanover’s Verbeek then served coincidental interference penalties followed by Wingham’s Payten Wheeler taking a two-minute slashing penalty.
The third period saw Dylan Richardson of Hanover called for interference (two minutes) followed by Wingham’s Visser (slashing, two minutes), Tanner Reid (cross checking, two minutes) and Wheeler (slashing, two minutes). The final penalty of the period went to Hanover’s Bryan Richardson for cross checking (two minutes).

Hanover’s White took the first penalty of the third period with a two-minute high sticking call. Teammate Goetz then served a two-minute slashing penalty.

Wingham’s Pham and Hanover’s Walsom were then called for cross checking and unsportsmanlike conduct, respectively, after an incident just past the 18-minute mark of the first period.

For more information, visit winghamironmen.pjhlon.hockeytech.com.