Story by Brock Ormond
Photo: Wellington Dukes/OJHL Images
The Wellington Dukes turned on the dramatics again to secure their fifth overtime victory of the OJHL season on Friday night.
Ethan Quick’s second of the game in the second OT frame put the Dukes over top of the St. Mchael’s Buzzers by a 5-4 score – an identical result to their first head-to-head meeting back on October 13.
The Trenton resident’s first marker, a hard-working effort to lift the stick of a Buzzers defender that led to a low shot on goal that found its way in, was part of a busy second period which saw he and Connor Hunt scored 21 seconds apart in a back-and-forth swing.
Zander Latreille stuck home the game’s first marker 5:36 into the contest cleaning up the rebound off a Dmitri Tzaferis shot from the blueline and Shane Shelest kept his team in the game with 13 saves.
The Buzzers came alive in the second, putting home three goals in between the Dukes’ two tallies from David Elmy, Willem Kerr and Brandon Cohen to even the score at three after two.
The ping-pong battle continued in the third with Will Mitchell and Cohen exchanging counters 28 seconds apart in the first half of the frame to set the stage for overtime – and Quick’s heroics.
After the first OT period went by with no score change, Quick got into the St. Mike’s zone, received a pass from Pana Efraimidis and patently fought his way around the net for a backhand wraparound that snuck through Buzzers goaltender Cameron Smith for the clincher.
Quick added an assist for a three-point performance while Efraimidis added two helpers.
After the game, Quick said he feels the team is coming together well as it sets on to the second half of the season.
“Things are really starting to click and the chemistry is going with the boys now,” he said.
“The game was wild, Shaner (Shelest) held us in there for a long time
Shelest ended the night with 28 saves for his seventh personal win of the season as the Dukes outshot the Buzzers 35-32 to improve to 17-10-0-2 on the year with 36 points.
The team will embark on its first trip to Niagara Falls to face the expansion Canucks at 3 p.m. on Sunday.
