Booker to lead Admirals into playoffs vs Mooretown

Admirals’ graduating players Luka Milosevic, left; Allan Djordjevic and Drew Booker were honoured before Sunday’s game. It was the final home game of the regular season, won by Amherstburg 6-0 over the Walpole Island Wild.

It will be the Amherstburg Admirals and the Mooretown Flags facing off in the first round of the Provincial Junior Hockey League (Junior C) West Stobbs Division playoffs.

During a very important past weekend, the Admirals travelled to Mooretown where they came away with a much-needed point, in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Flags. The next night at the Libro Centre, Amherstburg clinched fifth place in the standings with a 6-0 shutout win over the Walpole Island Wild. 

“It came down all the way to the end. Coming in tonight we had to win to get the fifth seed and now we know we play Mooretown,” said Admirals’ head coach Zack Gervais.

Heading into the post-season, the Admirals will be led by their Amherstburg native captain Drew Booker who notched his 13^th of the season in Sunday’s win.

The excellent heads-up skater was one of five graduating players honoured before the victory and he knows exactly what it’s going to take to knock off the Flags.

“It comes down to bearing down in the third period. We have to hold the blueline. They’ve got some good skaters,” said Booker.

Amherstburg and Mooretown met six times during the regular 42-game schedule and three of those went into overtime. One of their best games of the season saw the Admirals win 4-1 at the Libro Centre back on Nov. 30.

“Obviously they play a different style in their rink. We haven’t won a game in Mooretown in almost two years. If we go there and steal one, you never know what might happen,” said Gervais.

The Admirals finished with a 15-21-6-0 record while the Flags went 22-19-1-0. Ten of Amherstburg’s 42 games went into overtime.

“Playoff hockey is a different game. I like to compete and these are going to be chippy, hard-fought games,” said Booker.

Look for Jace Dupuis (22-35-57), Carson Crawford (28-16-44) and Dylan Dupuis (25-17-42) to lead the way for Mooretown. In net for the Flags is veteran John Chartrand who played 30 games and posted a 2.64 GAA and a .929 save percentage.

“Their powerplay is the best in the league. You have to shutdown the Dupuis brothers. They are definitely threats and then you’ve got Chartrand in net. It’s going to be tough,” said Gervais.

Prior to Sunday’s game against the Wild, which saw tallies by Booker, rookie Liam Tiessen, Cooper Bulmer, Stefan Djordjevic, Brady Drouillard and Allan Djordjevic with his first of the year, the Admirals had a special ceremony to honour their overagers.

Luka Milosevic, Allan Djordjevic and Booker were part of an on-ice ceremony with their families as well as Admirals’ personnel. Also graduating are forwards Jayden Seguin and Zach Vallancourt.

‘”It felt like a surreal moment. I’ve played over 200 junior games. My parents have watched me since I was a kid and they are proud of the  person I have become,” said Booker.

Game 1 against the Flags will go Saturday (Feb. 21) in Mooretown and back to Amherstburg the next night.

Other playoff matchups will pit the Essex 73’s against Walpole Island, Blenheim Blades versus Wheatley Sharks and Lakeshore Canadiens meet the Dresden Kings.

SLAPSHOTS — Sunday’s game against the Wild saw 115 minutes in penalties… Amherstburg’s Cameron Robinet was shaken up late in the game and required medical assistance… Goalie Landon Dimitroff got the shutout for Amherstburg… Allan Djordjevic has played 148 regular season games for the blue-and-white which puts him third in franchise history.

Booker to lead Admirals into playoffs vs Mooretown

By Fred Groves