by Romano Di Franco
The Nepean Raiders began the final month of the season with the final meeting of the season against the Ottawa Junior Senators at the Jim Durrell Sports Complex. Both teams were coming off their respective victories. Nepean came off a brilliant 3-1 win against the Pembroke Lumber Kings to cap off Otsirakatste Brant’s 17th birthday. Meanwhile for the Ottawa Junior Senators, they dominated the Cornwall Colts 5-1.
For the starting goalies, Otsirakatste Brant made his second consecutive start in goal for the Nepean Raiders and Josh Scully who was in goal for that aforementioned game got the start for Ottawa.
The first period began when Tristan Konobelj appeared to have banked the puck off of Josh Scully, but the goal was called off when Josh Scully held on with his blocker. Nepean overcame the call when Luka Benoit rifled home his 24th goal of the season which came off the post and in. Spencer Thompson and Peter Freel got the assists on the goal. Ottawa replied back 35 seconds later with Wyston Isherhoff’s breakaway goal to tie the game at one. Xavier Guillimete and Tomislav Brennan contributed to the goal.
At the end of the first period, it was the Junior Senators who outshot the Raiders. Otsirakatste Brant would keep the Junior Senators at bay.
Just like the first period, the second period began with no goal as Brant held on to the goal post in time. Otherwise that second period was all Ottawa as Justin Ouellette, Ethan Lobe, Antoine Demers and Jack Matsukubo scored the goals in that second period.
That contributed to the Junior Senators outshooting the Raiders 20-5 in that frame.
Although Ottawa added two more goals from Antoine Demers and Justin Ouellette, Nepean would get a goal back when Peter Freel scored his 17th goal of the season. That would be the goal scoring.
Notably, the Nepean Raiders would score the first goal of the game and the last, but the Junior Senators came out on top.
For the three star selections, with two goals and two assists in the game, it was Justin Ouellette who earned the first star of the game for the Ottawa Junior Senators. Also with two goals, it was Antoine Demers who was the second star. Last but not least, Peter Freel was named the game’s third star for one goal and one assist. On top of that, the Ottawa native now has points in eight of the last nine games.
The Nepean Raiders next game is tomorrow when the Rockland Nationals come to town for a 2:30PM puck drop.
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