The Dukes travelled to Toronto Sunday to take on the North York Rangers and some Wellington fans may have had some concerns about the result of this game. First, the visitors were coming in off two losses, the blow-out in Cobourg and the overtime setback by the Trenton Golden Hawks. North York, in second place in the South Division of the OJHL, entered the game on a six game win streak and the memory of their earlier encounter between the two clubs when the Rangers scored late in the game to steal the win 3 to 2 in Wellington. It should be noted that Ranger players that evening were awarded 1st and 2nd Stars of the Game while the Dukes only had one player selected, 3rd Star Joe McKeown, a name you will be reading a lot more of very soon.
Just before the five minute mark of the opening period McKeown collected a pass and steamed down the right wing before unleashing a lazar shot that beat the Ranger goaltender. That was the only scoring in the frame but after killing off two penalty calls the Dukes were called for too many men for the second consecutive game. And for the second consecutive game the opponents took advantage by scoring a power play goal early in the second period to tie the game up at one. Just two minutes later Dukes forward Andrew McCann managed to get his stick onto a deflected shot and give the visitors the lead again. It was the first goal in nearly two months for the snake-bitten McCann. Before the middle frame ended the Rangers would tie the score again, 2 to 2.
In the final period McKeown was given a two minute minor for hooking but the Dukes penalty killers did a great job and just as McKeown came out of the box he picked up the puck, raced in and scored his second of the afternoon. Late in the game the Rangers pulled their goalie for an extra attacker but who should put the contest away with an empty netter but Joe McKeown to complete his hat trick. For his efforts, McKeown was named 1st Star of the Game while Dukes goalie Tyson Teichmann was selected as 2nd Star of the Game facing 26 shots. Teichmann lowered his goals against average to 2.43, 4th best in the OJHL while improving his save % to .929, 2nd best in the league. Chad Thibodeau, Trevor Cope, Mike Robinson, Abbott Girduckis, Austin Broadhurst, Steven Deeg and McCann each had assists.