Elmira’s Junior B squad were Kings of the weekend, defeating the top-ranked Brantford Golden Eagles (32-6-4) 2-0 Jan. 17, and then downing the Guelph Dominators 5-3 at home the following night.
It was all in all a good weekend for the Sugar Kings who, despite a few slip-ups on Sunday, put in a strong, energetic and ambitious effort in both games.
On Saturday, Elmira’s big man, Kyle McNeil, got things going at 14:34 of the first period while on the power play; Josh Ranalli and Brent Freeman, the Kings’ point leader with 58 points (21-37) in 37 games, picked up the helpers.
In the second period the prolific line combined once again to put the game away as Freeman banked one in courtesy of McNeil and Ranalli. From then onwards, the Kings were able to withstand Brantford’s pressure, ultimately earning two points for the win column and shutting out a team that had, until this point, scored in every single one of its 42 games this season.
“It was a really good weekend; can’t ask for much better,” said coach Geoff Haddaway.
“When you go on the road and win you take any sort of victory, especially going to the first place club, where they haven’t been shut out all year.”
On Sunday, the Kings welcomed the Guelph Dominators to the Elmira Arena, where the glass and the walls were lined with posters supporting Woolwich’s bid to make the top-five list in CBC’s Hockeyville competition.
The Sugar Kings busted out of the corral in the first period.
Energized by the previous evening’s win over Brantford, the Kings were fast and furious from the get-go. It wasn’t long before they were rewarded for their pugnacity when, at the third minute mark, Philip Teri, from Michael Therrien, made it 1-0.
But the Dominators were also down with a fight and were quick to get back, tying things up at one, shortly after at 5:12, courtesy of Dave Merker; Dan Mohle and Ken Rolph picked up the assists.
In the middle frame, the Kings came out hard and quickly drilled in three successive goals: Therrien, from Freeman and Jutzi, gave his team the 2-1 edge at 6:27.
A few minutes later, Ranalli got his first of three, courtesy of Freeman, at 9:50, and his second, unassisted, at 12:42 to make it 4-1.
Guelph tried to spark something of a comeback in the third as Tyson Theaker, from Matt O’Brien and Dan Mohle, made it 4-2 at 1:49.
But then Ranalli completed his hat-trick and made it 5-2 at 5:14, combining once again with Freeman and McNeil.
The Dominators fought back to get in the game but were only able to score one more at 11:32, making it a 5-3 game. The Kings held on to their lead and left the arena two points the richer.
It was a good weekend for the Kings, and a good weekend for the team’s top line of McNeil, Freeman and Ranalli.
Ranalli, who has been on fire as of late – the Stoney Creek native notched five points in two nights last weekend, and has recorded 12 in the last five games – credited his linemates for his own recent success.
“I’ve been playing with them for a good couple months now, but I think now we’re starting to gel even more,” he said.
With hulking forward McNeil and fluid passer Freeman attracting a lot of their opponents’ attention, Ranalli is consequently taking advantage of the open ice.
“McNeil opens a lot of space for us because everyone goes after him, so, when they watch Freeman and McNeil it just kind of opens space for me,” said Ranalli.
As the season winds down, and the Kings look to the playoffs, Ranalli noted that he and his teammates want to keep it simple.
“We’re just trying to win as many games as we can now, keep trying to move up in the standings but at the same time do better as a team.”
The two wins came at a crucial time for the Kings as they prepare themselves for the playoffs: with 12 regular season games remaining every point is invaluable for the seventh place team. The Kings are now 12 points behind the sixth-place Cambridge Winter Hawks in the Midwestern Conference.
Shutting out the league’s top team, to whom the Kings have lost five times this season and been outscored 36-12, reinforced the coaching staff’s message that the Kings can do battle with any team.
“That’s sort of been our message for a long time; but it’s one thing to say it and it’s another thing for the guys to actually do it and believe it,” said Haddaway, hoping that his players stay confident.
