Challenging end to 2025 for the Wingham Ironmen

BY SHAWN LOUGHLIN

It was a challenging end to the calendar year for the Wingham Ironmen with the team posting two losses and being outscored 12 goals to two in their two losses, with one game being postponed due to weather.

 

First, the Ironmen were scheduled to play the Walkerton Capitals on the road on Friday, Dec. 19, but that game was postponed and will now be played on Thursday, Jan. 15.

 

The next night, the Ironmen hosted the Fergus Whalers who scored nine goals on the Ironmen, allowing none.

 

The Whalers distributed their goal scoring pretty evenly with three goals in the first, two in the second and four in the third, beginning with two Tyler Ewald goals scored at 7:09 and 11:25 of the first, assisted by Andrew McClure and Nolan Drury and then Drury and Adam MacRobbie on the power play, respectively. Joey Martin then scored at 18:34 of the first, also on the power play, assisted by Lucas Carson and Andrew McClure.

 

In the second, Liam Eveleigh scored at 12:16 assisted by Joey Martin and Lucas Carson, followed by Martin’s second goal of the game, scored at 19:22 of the second, assisted by Carson and Maxim Schmidt.

 

In the third, Justin Ewald scored a power play goal at 11:21, assisted by Joey Martin and Liam Eveleigh, followed by a pair of Lucas Miletic goals scored within a minute of one another - first a power play goal at 12:53 assisted by Nolan Drury and then again at 13:25, assisted by Everett Force and Maxim Schmidt.

 

Nolan Drury scored the final goal of the game at 17:11 of the third, assisted by Jakob Jackson and Cohen Robitaille.

 

In net, James Hopper allowed all nine goals, stopping 27 of 36 shots for the Ironmen, while Noah Lundgren was perfect in net for the Whalers, stopping all 20 of the shots he faced.

 

The Whalers were in the penalty box for 16 minutes on eight infractions, while the Ironmen were whistled 10 times for a total of 20 minutes in the box.
 

On Saturday, Dec. 27, it was much closer for the Ironmen, but they still fell to the division-leading Hanover Barons by a score of 3-2 at home in Wingham. 

 

After no scoring in the first, Wingham’s Jesse Coombs struck first at 5:06 of the second period, a power play goal assisted by Brandon Bishop and Wyatt Reinhardt. However, Hanover’s Aaron Dukeshire scored an unassisted goal at 19:45 to tie it up.
In the third, Dukeshire struck again at 13:56 to put the Barons ahead on the strength of a power play goal assisted by Eliott McCarey and Jack Kruiderink. Wylie Birkett then scored again for Hanover at 15:49 assisted by Carter Longland and Eliott McCarey. 

 

The Ironmen then clawed back with a Dawson Dietz goal scored at 19:53, assisted by Kaeden MacDonald and Noah Wettlaufer, but it wasn’t enough.

 

Colin Gibbings stopped 43 of 46 shots for the Ironmen in a losing effort, while Derek Hartley stopped 19 of 21 shots in a win for the Barons. The Ironmen were assessed 12 penalty minutes on six infractions, while the Barons were called four times for a total of eight minutes in the box.

 

In the North Pollock Division of the Provincial Junior Hockey League, the Hanover Barons remain head and shoulders above everyone with 48 points and a record of 23 wins, three losses, one overtime loss and one shootout loss.

 

In second is the Fergus Whalers with a record of 20 wins, six losses and one overtime loss for a total of 41 points. The Mount Forest Patriots, in third place, also have 41 points and a record of 19 wins, six losses, three overtime losses and one shootout win.

 

Sitting a full 20 points short of third place are the Kincardine Bulldogs with 21 points and a record of 10 wins, 17 losses and one shootout loss, followed by the fifth-place Mitchell Hawks with 19 points and a record of seven wins, 16 losses, three overtime losses and two shootout losses, the sixth-place Walkerton Capitals with 17 points and a record of eight wins, 16 losses and one overtime loss and the last-place Wingham Ironmen, who also have 17 points and a record of eight wins, 17 losses, one overtime loss and three shootout wins.

 

Looking ahead, the Ironmen have a busy January with a dozen games scheduled, beginning with a game in Wingham tonight with the Walkerton Capitals.

 

They play again on Saturday, Jan. 3 with a game against the Mount Forest Patriots on the road and then a mid-week clash with the Hanover Barons on Wednesday, Jan. 7, also on the road.