Story by Brock Ormond
Photo: OJHL Images/Wellington Dukes
Despite a strong push and an improved defensive game, the Wellington Dukes still couldn’t snatch that coveted second point in a 1-1 tie against the Haliburton County Huskies on Saturday.
Colby Booth-Housego was solid in stopping 42 of 43 shots in his first start since October 4 to help Wellington snap a four-game losing skid, but extend a winless streak to 13.
The Kitchener product kept the Dukes tight despite being outshot 12-4 through one period of play, and gave Wellington a chance to break through.
At 11:04 of the second frame, Landon Marleau beat Carter Nadon with some assistance from Cole Ellis and Liam Campbell to put the Dukes ahead.
The Dukes held on to the 1-0 lead until about halfway through the third, when Daniel Vasic teamed up with Liam Oravsky to slip the puck home and finally solve Booth-Housego, assuring the Huskies a single point.
Haliburton outshot Wellington 7-4 through 10 minutes of overtime, but neither goaltender’s armour was dented and the game ended in a deadlock.
The stalemate was the second of the year for the Dukes and Haliburton’s first, as the final shots totalled 43-33 in favour of the Huskies.
The Dukes will continue to search for a win on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. versus the co-leaders in the East Conference, the Stouffville Spirit at Lehigh Arena.
