Story by Brock Ormond
Photo: OJHL Images
Round 1 of the Battle of Quinte and Hasty Ps Cup series went to the Trenton Golden Hawks on Friday night.
The G-Hawks went into Wellington and played a clinical 60-minute road game to eke out a 2-1 win over the Dukes in front of a large crowd at Lehigh Arena.
The momentum started quickly for Trenton, as David Fournier and Sam Williamson forced a cough-up that led to a Williamson snapper beating Dukes goalie Jacob Osborne.
Williamson’s first goal as a Golden Hawk came at 1:24 and held up through the rest of the frame and much of the second period, until Jordan Fuller added some important insurance.
Off a faceoff win, Fuller went straight for the net and converted on a rebound at 13:28 for the eventual game-winning tally.
Austin D’Orazio took the shot from the point that gave Fuller his opportunity to pot home his third of the year.
Trenton’s defence was stingy in holding Wellington to just 10 shots in the first two periods, but Ethan Fraser was solid when called upon, especially in a much more energetic third period for the Dukes.
Luke Lapalm deflected an Edward Moskowitz shot past Fraser 2:36 into the final frame on a powerplay to cut into Trenton’s lead. Ex-Golden Hawk Julien Jacob drew the second assist.
That was as close as Wellington got however, and a pair of blocked shots on a late penalty kill by Jack Natyshak and Sami Douglas-Najem helped preserve Trenton’s victory.
The Dukes had a few opportunities that were missed to even the score, with Latreille just missing on a wraparound and a penalty shot in the third period, among others, that could have changed the course of the night.
Fraser wound up with 26 saves in the victory, while Osborne stopped 25 shots in a valiant effort.
More than 1,000 fans, including several minor hockey teams, took in the contest in the biggest crowd in Wellington since before the pandemic.
The G-Hawks will look to extend their winning streak to five games at home Sunday versus the Lindsay Muskies at 7:30 p.m. The Dukes also suit up on Sunday on the road against the Milton Menace at 6:30.
