Admirals struggle and drop games to Essex and Mooretown

Mooretown goalie John Chartrand loses his stick in front of Amherstburg’s Evan Klein during Sunday evening’s game at the Libro Centre. Mooretown won 5-2.

It was a tough week for the Amherstburg Admirals as they dropped a pair of Provincial Junior Hockey League (Jr. C) games.

The Admirals fell behind quickly last Tuesday night, coming up short to the West Stobbs Division leading Essex 73’s 8-4. Back at the Libro Centre Sunday evening, they were beaten 5-2 by the visiting Mooretown Flags.

With the losses, the Admirals fell to 7-10-2-0 approaching the midway point of the regular season and are in seventh place in the eight-team division.

In Essex, the 73’s - who made it all the way to the Schmalz Cup finals last spring - exploded in the opening frame, taking a 5-0 lead before the Admirals’ Cory Leach and Evan MacPherson made it a little closer, 5-2 after 20 minutes.

The Admirals were able to pull within a couple of goals at one point but couldn’t get any closer. Also scoring for Amherstburg were Stefan Djordjevic and captain Drew Booker. Rory Sandison had a pair of assists while Essex’s Austin Guevremont led the way for the 73’s with a hat trick.

Sunday in Amherstburg during a 5 p.m. start, the Admirals came out strong and were up 1-0 after the first thanks to a powerplay goal by veteran centre Finnigan Russett. This goal, his second of the year, was set up on a nice rush up the ice from defenceman Freddie McCroy.

The middle period belonged entirely to the Flags as they scored four unanswered goals including a couple 50 seconds apart. 

However, unlike the previous two meetings between the two sides, Amherstburg was denied a point from overtime.

Without high-scoring forwards Brody Gillis and Stefan Djordjevic dressed and Sandison sidelined for a few shifts in the second, the Admirals seemed to run out of gas.

Sandison did return and laid out a couple of good hits late in the second on a night when the Admirals did a fairly good job with a strong forechecking system. 

McCroy got his second of the year late in the game which was set up by Russett.

The Admirals will try and get back on the winning side of the scoreboard Friday when they travel to Lakeshore to take on the Canadiens in a 7 p.m. game. In their previous meeting, the Admirals won in overtime.

Their next home games are not until the weekend of Nov. 29-30 when Dresden and Mooretown come to Amherstburg. Game times are 7:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. respectively.

Good news for the Admirals is that Brady Drouillard has returned to the lineup following an injury. Booker and Jake Goudreault are the only two players that have suited up for all 18 games thus far.

SLAPSHOTS… A roster move has seen goalie Jack Thomas released… Good turnout Saturday night at the Legion as the Admirals hosted a dinner… Amherstburg at one time led the division in penalty minutes but have cut trips down to the penalty box as of late.

Admirals struggle and drop games to Essex and Mooretown

By Fred Groves