Story by Brock Ormond
Photo: OJHL Images/Wellington Dukes
It was a dominant effort from start to finish for the Wellington Dukes in a 9-2 drubbing of the Cobourg Cougars on Friday night.
Ryan Cutler’s five points led the way, with fellow Keswick resident Luke Strickland adding two points, including his first goal as a Duke in his debut with the team.
David Campbell’s craftiness with his passing gave Cutler and Nolan Mozer goals in the opening frame, with Mozer’s being his first as a Duke.
Jacob Vreugdenhil then added another quick strike less than a minute later, snapping a rocket over Cobourg goalie Matthew Sbrocca’s right shoulder for his 21st of the season.
Quinte Red Devils graduate Jacob Gilbert got one back for the Cougars in the late stages of the first, but that was as close as the visitors got.
The Dukes broke the game open with three more unanswered tallies in the second from Lucas Lapalm on a wrist shot off the rush, Strickland capitalizing on a turnover and a centering pass by Cutler to chase Sbrocca from the net and Langdon playing a bank shot off a Cobourg skate.
After Jakob Morier hit the net for the Cougars’ second goal of the night, Wellington chipped in three more.
Strickland returned the favour with a feed to Cutler for his second of the game, Jacob blasted one home 14 seconds after, then Graeme MacAuley rang a hard shot off the post and in on the powerplay to round out the scoring.
Jacob and Barret Joynt added a pair of assists, while Vreugdenhil and MacAuley contributed an assist each for a two point night.
Jacob Osborne made 25 stops for his 12th personal victory and to lift Wellington’s record to 27-9-2-2, moving them one point behind idle Haliburton County for 2nd place in the OJHL’s Southeast Conference.
The Dukes hit the road to Thornhill for a date with the North York Rangers at 8 p.m. Sunday in their next action.
