Story by Brock Ormond
Photo: Ed McPherson/OJHL Images
Another intense battle between the OJHL’s two Quinte rivals ended in another Trenton Golden Hawks victory.
Trenton clinched its fifth win in a row on Saturday afternoon at Lehigh Arena with a 5-2 win over the Wellington Dukes, handing the hosts their sixth consecutive loss.
Both Wellington netminder Jacob Brown and Trenton goalie Brady Spry slammed the door in the first period, before the offence came alive in the middle frame.
Zander Latreille zipped home his ninth of the season on an early powerplay, but Devin Mauro offered a quick response with the tying goal on a shot that squeezed off the post and in behind Brown for his 23rd.
Taeo Artichuk broke the tie at 14:09 after David Fournier and Mauro forced a turnover just outside the Wellington blueline, finishing a backdoor tap-in for his 31st of the year.
Spencer Hughes deflected in the eventual winner on a high shot from the left point courtesy of Owen McKinnon and although a late powerplay goal from Ethan Murray pulled the Dukes within one in the late stages, the Hawks were simply too much.
Artichuk and Matt Souliere buried empty-netters to round out Trenton’s 46th win of the season.
Hughes added an assist for Trenton, along with Kyloe Ellis, Aaron Brown, Corbin Roach, and Nathan Taylor.
Jared McNeil, Riley Noble, Ryan Schaap and Cory Jewitt earned helpers for Wellington.
The Hawks outshot Wellington 37-22 as they polished off their second straight season series sweep and dropped Wellington’s record to 30-19-0-4.
Trenton gets set to meet the high-flying Toronto Jr. Canadiens Sunday night at 7:15, while the Dukes are in North York at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
