January 27
Young Phenom Reminds of Local Legend 

Quiet buzz in the Oakridge Arena Sunday night, January 27, 2008, prior to the 7:00 P.M. match up between the Aeros and the Sarnia Sting Minor Peewee M.D. hockey clubs.

London’s David Mitchell skated down the right side, following the opening face off, and fired the first shot of the game.

Sarnia’s first chance came from behind the net as Tyler Groulx set up Eric Cunningham for a bang- bang play; the shot from the slot stopped by Alex Makrakos and held for the whistle.

Nathaniel Phelps broke across the blueline; Calvin Hughson, with the poke check attempt, got his stick into the skates of the speedy forward and down he went. Hughson to the box for tripping.

Christian Kerrigan took advantage of the smaller ice surface and stepped up to pick off a pass near the red line, during the penalty kill. Down the right side, the big defenceman cruised in and drove to the net; a backhand try, off the goal stick of Makrakos. The puck lay just under the blades and just outside of the cage, as the goalie sat and Kerrigan jammed away as the whistle sounded to halt play.

Another short-handed try by James Pavey; a blocker save this time from Makrakos.

Taite Demelo nabbed for tripping with two minutes and seventeen seconds to play in the first period. Sixteen seconds later Sarnia took a two man advantage due to another tripping call, Phelps the culprit this time.

Captain Dean MacEachern credited with the unassisted power play marker a minute later.

Nicholas VanBilsen backhanded a pass to Cunningham; he swiped and missed as the puck dribbled through to MacEachern in the slot. Makrakos went down, in anticipation of the Cunningham shot that did not come, and as he started to get back on his feet, MacEachern slid the puck along the ice under the goaltender to open the scoring.

Second period action witnessed Andrew Kolesnichenko carry the puck deep into the corner and around the back of the Sarnia goal. Meet there by a Cunningham back check. Eric stole the puck; skated down ice, which allowed the forward trio, Curtis Lindsay, Groulx and Cunningham to spend the rest of the shift in the Aeros end.

Scary moment as Kolesnichenko propelled himself full throttle towards Scott Ferguson. He missed and hit the wall hard. The medical staff of the Aeros quick off the bench to attend the fallen Aero.

Cunningham feathered a pass back to Kevin Dann at the right point. The shot, hard along the ice, beat the goalie to the right side and was tipped into the yawning cage, by Lindsay. The goal against charged to J.J. Wood now playing net for the second half of the skirmish. Good work going to the net with out the puck Curty!

Kolesnichenko darted down the wing and passed out front to Shawn McKenzie, batted aside by the Sting net minder, Roan MacKay.

Chris Maitland, home from the jungle, banked it off the wall, picked up by Cunningham to set up a two on one with Pavey. Drawing the defenceman over, Cunningham backhanded a beautiful pass across to Pavey. Pavey dropped the shoulder to fake the shot and went to the backhand deke to tickle the twine behind Wood and up the score 3-0.

Rough play in the corner, Lindsay nailed for a tripping call with just over a minute and a half to go in the second period.

A short handed, unassisted effort by VanBilsen as he refused to throw the puck away and weaved through two defenders before finding the back of the net to put the Sting up 4-0.

Strong physical play as London’s McKenzie put a clean lick on Groulx and a short time later Chris Maitland returned the favour as his clean shoulder check stopped the play at the blueline.

Aeros McKenzie assessed a roughing penalty at 13:19.

What followed was another strong shift by Maitland. Stopping the puck three times at the blueline and although he did not get an assist, kept the play onside, which resulted in a Cunningham power play goal. Lindsay and Groulx picked up the assists on the play, 5-0 the score.

 Ferguson off to the box for roughing at 10:52.

 Phelps, on the power play, head manned the puck to Evan Sundres. He chipped it off the wall and picked up there by Justin Frehner. Wide to the outside, cut to the slot, deked to the backhand to beat MacKay just inside the post. Aeros on the board, 5-1.

Two minutes later Frenher scored again! After a pass from Chandler Bousfield, Frenher fired a high shot. MacKay, on his tiptoes, took it off the left shoulder for the initial save. The puck deflected high, sailed through the air and dropped down over the line. Score now 5-2.

Frehner, called “Frenchy” (short for The French Connection) was scouted by Wayne Doucet out of the Montreal inner city league I was told by a proud Oakridge parent.

“You must be a Habs fan”, I asked.

“Sure am”, he replied and I asked him if Eric Cunningham reminded him of John VanBoxmeer.

“VanBoxmeer…yeah, I remember, first round draft pick in ’72, Bowman didn’t play him much but later when he (Scotty Bowman) took over the Buffalo Sabres, his first move was to get VanBoxmeer back in a trade with the Rockies.”

After he witnessed a few shifts he remarked “he (Cunningham) has the same stance and is steady on his feet, but I don’t think he’s as tall as Boxie.”

The kids today may know John as the coach with the most wins in Rochester American’s history (333 wins), but those a little older will remember John was one of only 3 junior players to be invited to the training camp of the 1972 Team Canada in preparation for the famous Summit Series against the Russians. John was a six-footer from Wyoming, drafted first round, 14^th over all, by Montreal. He later went on to lead the Sabres in assists in the ‘81/’82 season and again the following year with 54, a team record at the time. A great defenceman, the first Sabre in franchise history to win NHL’s “The Player of the Week” honour. He led all Wales conference blue liners in votes to the 1982 All Star game. Look for his name to surface for a head-coaching job in the N.H.L. next year.

Although Randy will advocate the sports ability comes from the Cunningham clan, what with his father in the local Sports hall of Fame. The maternal bloodline may get the edge in this argument, as Shelia and John are first cousins.

Oakridge the dominant team for a good stretch of the third stanza following the back to back “Frenchy” goals but the standing room only crowd quieted by a Calvin Hughson slapshot from the left point that forced Wood to make a pad save.

Marcus Dusseault appeared to score, puck in over the line, but no signal; face off to the left of Wood.

Lindsay lit the lamp again, unassisted, to round out the scoring, with just over two minutes to play.

Break away set up by the cross-ice pass, Hughson to Leeam Ridley, in alone for a quick snap shot. Flash of the leather, the best save of the game for Wood, as this one goes into the books as a 6 – 2 victory for the Sting.

When asked after the game to comment coach Hodgins insisted that this team can play better.

“We need to treat every game from now on as learning forum, an extension of our practice time. Teach a new skill in practice, implement it during a game, perfect it, so when we get to the playoffs we won’t be startled or nervous to introduce a new game plan.”

“I am not worried about this group, they are smart, and they are longer playing selfish, they play as a team, I see good things coming down the road if they continue their good habits”, he added.