Story by Brock Ormond
Photo: OJHL Images/Wellington Dukes
Another early deficit was too much to overcome for the Wellington Dukes, despite their best efforts.
For the second straight game, the Dukes fell behind 4-0 after the first period and couldn’t complete another valiant comeback, dropping a 7-5 score to the Aurora Tigers.
Cayden Smith went coast-to-coast to open the scoring, setting off the Tigers early outburst with Charlie Hotles, Gianfranco Rosella and Thomas Leone all beating Royden Smith.
The Dukes continued to grip their sticks a little tight as they attempted to claw back against a sound Tigers team in the second frame.
Jonathan Scott tapped home his first OJHL goal off a miss from Luke Howard to extend the Aurora lead to five, but Carrier pulled the Dukes reach to within four notches again with a shot through Matt Humphries legs on a set up by Ethan Murray.
Hotles capitalized on a Dukes turnover to make it 6-1, but Wellington wasn’t about to go away, with Zach Mascard scoring twice and Evan Erwin potting his first as a Duke to cut the gap to two.
Smith put the Tigers further ahead for good on a top shelf backhand shot to ensure the victory, before Carrier buried his second of the day and team-leading 11th of the year for Wellington to finish out the scoring.
Ethan Murray was a puck magnet on Sunday, finishing with four assists.
Aurora outshot the Dukes 34-32, as Wellington dropped its fifth game in a row with a stiff test ahead on Thanksgiving Monday at 2:30 p.m. versus the Stouffville Spirit.
