Story by Brock Ormond
Photo: OJHL Images/Wellington Dukes
A clean, tidy performance for the Wellington Dukes on Friday was highlighted by the first OJHL shutout of Royden Smith’s career.
The Toronto product made 29 saves and the Dukes got enough offence to silence the Markham Royals 3-0.
The Dukes persisted through a stingy Markham backline through a goalless first half of the contest and met the Royals head-on with solid play, eventually finding the net late in the second period on a Cole Ellis marker.
The Chapleau, Ont. defenceman, who scored the overtime winner over Mississauga on Wednesday, notched his second of the year from Kyle Grasby for another game-winning tally at 15:52.
Sacha Trudel snuck in and buried a big insurance marker off a strong start to the third, his fourth of the year from Ethan Murray and Zack Carrier and Smith denied any opportunity for Markham to get one back in a tense final few minutes.
Trudel repaid the favour to Murray for an empty-netter to seal the victory and keep the Dukes perfect on the young OJHL season at 4-0.
Wellington is off for another week prior to a busy next weekend, starting with a home game versus the Stouffville Spirit at 7:30 p.m. next Friday.
