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Douro, Ontario
DOURO MINOR HOCKEY
BANNER YEAR ENDS FOR DOURO DUKES
By MIKE DAVIES Examiner Sports Director
DOURO – While there was disappointment on the season's final night there was also plenty of reason for the Douro Minor Hockey Association to be proud Saturday.
For the first time in the organization's history, the Douro Dukes placed four teams in Ontario Minor Hockey Association finals. That's four of their nine teams advancing as far as they are able at the DD level with the juveniles winning the title last week on the road.
On Saturday, the final active team, the midgets lost 3-2 to the East Lambton Eagles to drop the six-point series 6-4. Douro won the first two games of the series on the road but lost three straight at the Douro Community Centre.
Prior to this year, the most teams Douro had put in a final in one year was two which they did twice including last year when the bantams and midgets lost in finals and 2006 when the midgets and juveniles both claimed gold. This year the atom and bantam teams also lost in finals.
“As a minor hockey organization it's great,” said DMHA president Willy Towns. “As a community it's a great thing, too. We've had two teams in at times but to have four in is amazing. It's an accomplishment beyond compare. The team which won it is the team which wasn't supposed to be there but that's great for them. They came together in the playoffs. In the regular season not too many players showed up for games but in the finals they came in and played their hearts out.”
The toughest pill to swallow for the midgets was failing to close out East Lambton on home ice on three different occasions. The Eagles Kirk Dorman scored 19 seconds into the deciding game only to have Douro rebound eight seconds later with Derek Nelson setting up Colin Heffernan. The whirlwind continued with East Lambton recapturing the lead 1:34 later on a goal by Cole Keating. Things settled down with 30 minutes and 18 seconds of scoreless hockey primarily due to some outstanding goaltending in the second period by Douro's Russell Anderson.
The Eagles went up 3-1 on Taylor Oke's power play goal 2:19 into the third. Douro closed the gap to one with 3:53 left as Matt Douglas pounced on a loose puck with Heffernan picking up an assist. Douro pulled Anderson for the final 1:22 but couldn't find the equalizer.
“It was a successful season,” said Dukes' coach Al Richards. “The whole season was. We had a real strong playoff and just came up a little bit short tonight.”
It was disappointing, Richards said, not being able to get the win for a large group of fans who packed the arena.
“It was so nice for the support,” said Richards. “I don't think the boys were used to such a big crowd but it was much appreciated. That's for sure.”
Richards says it was a banner year for Douro hockey.
“It's an unbelievable success story,” he said. “Congratulations goes out to every team in Douro.”
East Lambton coach George Noll was thrilled to see his boys rally from a 2-0 deficit heading on the road for three games.
“(Douro) came back here to win that third game and we didn't let them,” said Noll. “This team came in to win and not get swept. We kept the brooms away and worked hard and picked it up to come back and win three games. I think they started playing as a team rather than being individual players and they just gelled.”
mike.davies@sunmedia.ca
By MIKE DAVIES Examiner Sports Director
DOURO – While there was disappointment on the season's final night there was also plenty of reason for the Douro Minor Hockey Association to be proud Saturday.
For the first time in the organization's history, the Douro Dukes placed four teams in Ontario Minor Hockey Association finals. That's four of their nine teams advancing as far as they are able at the DD level with the juveniles winning the title last week on the road.
On Saturday, the final active team, the midgets lost 3-2 to the East Lambton Eagles to drop the six-point series 6-4. Douro won the first two games of the series on the road but lost three straight at the Douro Community Centre.
Prior to this year, the most teams Douro had put in a final in one year was two which they did twice including last year when the bantams and midgets lost in finals and 2006 when the midgets and juveniles both claimed gold. This year the atom and bantam teams also lost in finals.
“As a minor hockey organization it's great,” said DMHA president Willy Towns. “As a community it's a great thing, too. We've had two teams in at times but to have four in is amazing. It's an accomplishment beyond compare. The team which won it is the team which wasn't supposed to be there but that's great for them. They came together in the playoffs. In the regular season not too many players showed up for games but in the finals they came in and played their hearts out.”
The toughest pill to swallow for the midgets was failing to close out East Lambton on home ice on three different occasions. The Eagles Kirk Dorman scored 19 seconds into the deciding game only to have Douro rebound eight seconds later with Derek Nelson setting up Colin Heffernan. The whirlwind continued with East Lambton recapturing the lead 1:34 later on a goal by Cole Keating. Things settled down with 30 minutes and 18 seconds of scoreless hockey primarily due to some outstanding goaltending in the second period by Douro's Russell Anderson.
The Eagles went up 3-1 on Taylor Oke's power play goal 2:19 into the third. Douro closed the gap to one with 3:53 left as Matt Douglas pounced on a loose puck with Heffernan picking up an assist. Douro pulled Anderson for the final 1:22 but couldn't find the equalizer.
“It was a successful season,” said Dukes' coach Al Richards. “The whole season was. We had a real strong playoff and just came up a little bit short tonight.”
It was disappointing, Richards said, not being able to get the win for a large group of fans who packed the arena.
“It was so nice for the support,” said Richards. “I don't think the boys were used to such a big crowd but it was much appreciated. That's for sure.”
Richards says it was a banner year for Douro hockey.
“It's an unbelievable success story,” he said. “Congratulations goes out to every team in Douro.”
East Lambton coach George Noll was thrilled to see his boys rally from a 2-0 deficit heading on the road for three games.
“(Douro) came back here to win that third game and we didn't let them,” said Noll. “This team came in to win and not get swept. We kept the brooms away and worked hard and picked it up to come back and win three games. I think they started playing as a team rather than being individual players and they just gelled.”
mike.davies@sunmedia.ca
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AGM - April 24th Douro Arena 7pm
Registration:
$100 non-refundable cheque made out to Douro Minor Hockey. Dates: May 6th 1:30 - 3:00pm, May 12th 9:00-12:00
Where: Douro Optomist Hall (Douro Arena)
*Due to numbers this year, only guarantee for a spot on a team will be through the early registration. We will be deciding how many teams will will field based on these early registration numbers.
Coaching Applications due by April 30th.
Registration:
$100 non-refundable cheque made out to Douro Minor Hockey. Dates: May 6th 1:30 - 3:00pm, May 12th 9:00-12:00
Where: Douro Optomist Hall (Douro Arena)
*Due to numbers this year, only guarantee for a spot on a team will be through the early registration. We will be deciding how many teams will will field based on these early registration numbers.
Coaching Applications due by April 30th.