Ironmen win lone weekend game to remain in fourth place

BY SHAWN LOUGHLIN

The Wingham Ironmen only had one game of Provincial Junior Hockey League play this weekend, but made the most of it with a 3-2 win over the Walkerton Capitals at home.

 

Walkerton opened the scoring in the first period when Aiden Stanley scored his 17th goal of the season at 4:40, assisted by Chase Lorenz and Markus Grajnar-Ptok. The Ironmen wouldn’t equalize until 7:26 of the second period when Tayt Bramhill scored, assisted by Adam MacRobbie and Ethan Smith.

 

MacRobbie then scored at 9:10 of the second to give Wingham the lead, assisted by Tyson Fischer and Ethan Smith on the power play.

 

Chase Lorenz would tie the game for the Capitals at 19:34 of the second period, assisted by Josh Johnston and Grajnar-Ptok on the power play, but the Ironmen had the only goal of the third period to win the game on the strength of Ethan Smith’s first goal of the season, scored at 14:32 of the third, assisted by Austin Becker and Tyler Copeland.

 

Noah Ricci faced 23 shots, stopping 21 of them in a winning effort for the Ironmen, while Glen Crandall was handed the loss for the Capitals, stopping 29 of 32 shots. The Capitals were whistled seven times for 22 penalty minutes, while the Ironmen were called six times for 10 minutes in the box.

 

The win hasn’t changed much in the North Pollock Division standings, where the Ironmen sit in fourth, where they’ve been for the majority of the season.

 

The Mount Forest Patriots are in first place with 54 points and a record of 26 wins, five losses, two overtime losses and two shootout wins, followed by the Hanover Barons in second place with 52 points and a record of 25 wins, three losses, one overtime loss and one shootout loss.

 

Eight points down the standings, the Fergus Whalers sit in third place with 44 points and a record of 20 wins, five losses, three overtime losses and one shootout loss.

 

The Ironmen are in fourth with 35 points and a record of 16 wins, 13 losses and three overtime losses, followed by the fifth-place Kincardine Bulldogs with a record of 16 wins, 15 losses, two overtime losses and two shootout wins and 34 points and the sixth-place Mitchell Hawks with 21 points and a record of nine wins, 19 losses, two overtime losses, one shootout win and one shootout loss.

 

At the bottom of the standings, two teams are tied on points at 16. The Walkerton Capitals are in seventh place with seven wins, 22 losses, two overtime losses and one shootout win, followed by the eighth-place Goderich Flyers and their record of six wins, 21 losses, one overtime loss and three shootout losses.

 

After a one-game weekend, the Ironmen have another this weekend, just playing the Barons in Hanover on Friday, Jan. 17. The team, however, is home for two games next weekend, first playing the Walkerton Capitals again on Friday, Jan. 24, followed by a game with the division-leading Mount Forest Patriots on Saturday, Jan. 25.

 

The following weekend, the team is on the road for two, playing the Flyers in Goderich on Saturday, Feb. 1 and then the Hanover Barons on Sunday, Feb. 2.