In the 2009-2010 season it will be Elmira’s own Jeff Zippel.

HAIL TO THE CHIEF Jeff Zippel just named the 2009-2010 Captain of the Elmira Sugar Kings.

After some three seasons with the Sugar Kings, Zippel will step into the captaincy at the start of next season. The coaching staff went public with the news just this week, but broached the subject with the player at the end of last season.

“I think this is going to be an easy transition because Jeff and I always had a really good relationship and he displayed so many good, great leadership qualities already,” said head coach Geoff Haddaway, explaining Zippel’s selection.

Already an assistant captain last year, Zippel, who is entering his fourth and final year with the Kings, is one of the most veteran players on what will be a young squad that takes to the ice in September.

According to the coaches, it was an easy choice asking the local boy to assume the leadership role.

“I think it was the next logical step. For our team’s sake and continuity’s sake and the fact that Jeff’s been a real great Elmira Sugar King for the last three full seasons, going into his fourth year. What makes it more special is not only is he a deserving candidate but he’s a local guy too.”

Indeed, for Zippel, the opportunity to lead a team he watched as a young boy is particularly rewarding.

“I’ve always wanted to play for the Kings; to be captain’s just a greater honour to have,” he said.

Zippel, a gritty, stay-at-home defenceman, will not only offer some steadiness and assurance on the blue line, but also some leadership and guidance for the young guys.

“I think Jeff’s really well respected league-wide because he’s just a true teammate; he’s a consummate teammate in that it’s always about the team foremost,” said Haddaway.

“Jeff is the first guy to stand up for his team and he’s the first guy to make sure that no one’s taking advantage of our goaltenders or our young guys, so this (captaincy) is a choice that really in the end was an easy one.”

Zippel will form a core part of the Kings’ blue line corps, but might also be called upon from time to time to jump in on the attack – something he has done frequently in the past.

“The two of us have always talked about him sort of becoming the next Scott Lepold in Sugar King history in that Scott went about his things very honestly, very quietly, and was just a reliable player and Jeff has certainly taken that on,” said Haddaway, alluding to a player who was a key component in the Kings’ 2008 Cherrey Cup win.

“He’s the kind of guy that on any given night I could ask him to do something new and he’d be game to do it.”

“We’re going to be young; we’re going to be really young this year. I think we’ll be competitive,” general manager Keith Stewart said in an interview this week.

Head coach Geoff Haddaway and assistant coaches Jim MacEachern and Kyle Campbell “are going to want them to be a really hard working team, so basically we’re going to be a pain in the ass to play against.”

With a number of returning players and new acquisitions the Kings are currently in full-out rebuilding mode, and places on the roster will have to be won in the coming weeks. A training camp is set for Aug. 24.

“Guys are going to have to work real hard,” said Stewart.

“We’re pretty excited because we know, in another year from now or whatever, we’re going to be real good with some of the guys that we’ve picked up.”

Climbing to the top of the standings in the early going isn’t expected as the Kings deal with the growing pains of a vastly changed lineup. Gone are some of last season’s key players: captain Patrick Shantz, speedy playmaker Brent Freeman, who notched a ninth place finish in the conference’s scoring leaders’ race with 30 goals and 46 assists; and forward Kyle McNeil, who joined the squad midway through the season and still managed to pick up 24 goals and 23 assists in 32 games. All graduated out of the system.

Blue liner Trent Brown is also leaving the Kings, having accepted an offer to join Lake Forrest College in Illinois. Goalie Jake Williams and forward Philip Teri are also currently courting other clubs.

Preparing to deal with these losses, the Kings were, however, surprised with the departure of newcomers Josh Ranalli and Kyle Blaney, whose quick and energetic play towards the end of the season signaled promise for a growing team. The two players have recently signed contracts with tier-two hockey teams.

“We thought Ranalli and Blaney both had pretty good years last year and we were hoping to have them back so they could expand on that, but they made the choice to jump to tier two, so we’ll see what happens,” explained Stewart.

“You just have to reload every year. You’ve got your work cut out for you every year  scouting and things like that – plugging the holes.”

Despite the losses, the Kings will have some returning players such as defenceman Jeff Zippel and creative forward Mike Therrien on which to build the team. And a prospect camp held May 9-10 is already yielding some positive results: some 30 players out of a prospective 68 have been asked to return to the August camp. Management has already signed a handful of players.

Some of those acquisitions include two players coming from the Waterloo and Guelph Midget ranks and Tyson LeBlanc from the now-defunct Owen Sound Greys and former Kitchener Dutchmen netminder Matt Smith.

“It’s going to be pretty competitive,” said Stewart, describing what is to come of the August training camp. While the roster will, without a doubt, be vastly different from last year’s the coaching staff isn’t planning on tinkering with the Kings’ traditional penchant for speedy players and quick movement of the puck.

“We’re not going to change things up much; it will take these young guys we’re bringing some time to get adjusted. We’re pretty excited.”

“It makes for difficult choices because you certainly want to recognize significant performances or achievements but you don’t want to leave anybody out. We have a tough time with it because in hockey we’re not supposed to recognize the individual, it’s such a team game that that contributes to making it hard to pick anybody,” said Elmira head coach Geoff Haddaway.

Front row: Elmira Sugar Kings captain Patrick Shantz (Don Duke Memorial Trophy for sportsmanship and leadership; coaches’ Cup for perseverance and dedication to hockey) and Brent Freeman (Elmira Insurance Agencies Trophy for top scorer, and Twin City Trophies – regular season MVP.) Back row: Kyle McNeil (Sugar Kings Alumni Award for playoff MVP), Jeff Zippel (Award of Excellence – best combines academics and hockey), Trent Brown (James Austin Memorial Trophy for top defenceman), Tyler Kuntz (Norm Hipel Memorial Trophy for outstanding defensive forward), Josh Ranalli (Elmira Sports Trophy for rookie of the year); Elmira Sugar Kings president Jeff Seddon, and Jarred Parent (Dave Uberig Memorial Trophy for top local minor hockey grad).

“You won’t find a bad kid on the Elmira Sugar Kings.”

While neither team ended the season the way it wanted to, there was more than enough camaraderie and positive vibrations throughout the organizations – including players, coaches, staff, parents billets, and fans – to warrant one final celebration.

“It means a lot to me: we all walked out that afternoon [with] a good feeling … it was a good way to wrap up the season,” said Haddaway.

For the Kings, an extended regular season might have seen things play out differently as they turned a seesaw first part of the season into .500 hockey by the end of the 2009 campaign through grit and determination. Unfortunately, by then it was a little too late.

“I guess it’s an excuse and I don’t like to say it, but we just ran out of time – if the season’s another month I think we move up the standings probably two or three spots and then maybe we’re still playing.”

Unrewarded for their turn-around in 2009, the Kings were honoured by their coaches last Sunday at the youth centre in Elmira.

Perhaps the most prestigious award went to one of the squad’s most entertaining players, Brent Freeman. The top scorer on the team with 30 goals and 46 assists in 50 games, the Linwood native was ninth in the Mid-Western Conference race.

A skillful, classy, two-way forward used on both the power play as well as on the penalty kill, the high-octane player will no doubt be missed by his team and its fans. For his efforts, Freeman also picked up the regular season MVP trophy.

“I think Brent probably got a lot of votes as a league MVP because he’s one of those guys that, from a league perspective, everybody respects and maybe is a little underrated,” said Haddaway.

“As the season went on teams knew that our success went through Brent Freeman.”

Captain and hometown player Patrick Shantz also picked up a pair of trophies for sportsmanship and leadership and the coaches’ cup (best exemplifies perseverance and dedication to hockey). The reliable defender and undisputed leader quickly became a key component with the Kings’ squad since joining midway through last season. He became an integral part of the Kings’ successful Cherrey Cup run in the spring of 2008. His leadership skills were not unnoticed, and the Elmira native was quickly named captain of the squad for the 2008-2009 season.

“He really grew into the role of captain; he’s just such a great kid and was a great liaison between the young guys and the coaching staff and the veterans in the room,” Haddaway said.

“At any given night if we weren’t playing hockey you could probably phone Shantz’s house, and a lot of the guys were there or hanging out with Pat. I think people are just drawn to him because he’s such a good guy, he’s such a team guy.”

Josh Ranalli, who more than likely featured the biggest number of family members attending the banquet last Sunday, was named “rookie of the year.” The 18-year-old Stoney Creek native quickly adapted to the Sugar Kings’ style of play. Second on the team’s scoring list with 25 goals and 38 assist in 52 games, Rannalli quickly eased his way on to the top line with Kyle McNeil and Freeman.

West Montrose’s Jarred Parent received the Dave Uberig Memorial trophy for top local minor hockey grad. A high-energy player, Parent improved throughout the season and became a crucial player during the Kings’ playoff series against the Kitchener Dutchmen.

The Kings’ top defenceman this season was Trent Brown. A smart player with offensive flair, Brown was fifth on the team’s scoring leader’s list picking up 10 goals and 30 assists in 50 games.

Physical player Jeff Zippel, one of the team’s assistant captains, was the recipient of the award of excellence for best combining academics and hockey.

McNeil picked up the award for most valuable player during the playoffs, chipping in with physical and offensive play during the postseason.

Newcomer and grinder Tyler Kuntz was awarded for his defensive play, being named as the team’s outstanding defensive forward.

The Wellesley Applejacks also held their awards banquet on the weekend, reflecting on the season Mar. 21 at the Khaki Club near Wellesley.

On paper, 2008-2009 was a season the Applejacks and their fans would rather forget. Despite that, it wasn’t without its positives: trudging through a frustrating campaign the Jacks were unified as a team and kept fighting through to the end. They came close in many instances, losing numerous games in shootouts, over-time periods and by minimal goal margins.

“I’d like to think it’s an honour to win an award for the hockey team you played for no matter how you did,” said general manager Dave Litt.

That said, coming up with winners, though there were candidates, wasn’t exactly easy.

“Every player’s got value on your hockey club – it’s a team thing,” he said.

A deadlock in votes tabulated for the MVP trophy saw Dan Berwick – the Jacks leading scorer with 21 goals and 19 assists – share the hardware with captain and stalwart defenceman Scott Litt.

“I look at an MVP as a person that you miss a lot when they’re not in the lineup, a person who just comes out and is a valuable asset to your hockey team and I think both those guys fit the bill this year. Both of them did a good job for us,” said Litt.

Though the leading scorer, Berwick was also used by his coaches in many different situations.

“He matured a lot over his four years with this club… he was a boy when he came and a young man when he left.”

Scott Litt also picked up a second trophy for the team’s best defenceman.

Scott Hanley picked up some hardware for the most sportsmanlike player racking up a meager eight penalty minutes in 39 games.

“Look at the stats; he had eight penalty minutes in 39 games and he’s sixth on the team in scoring, so, it wasn’t that he wasn’t playing, he just stayed out of box. I think that speaks volumes for a young man, another four-year player,  who could stay composed and play the way he played and the roles he played and stay disciplined.”

Rob Bolger picked up the rookie of the year award, netting 13 goals and 12 assists, earning the third spot on the Jacks’ scoring roster. Chris Givlin was the local MVP player for playing through the Wellesley system and Chris Armstrong also picked up some metalwork (coaches award for dedication and commitment to the team) for being “an easy guy to coach.”

The win was a key one for the Kings, who were down two games to none in the best-of-seven series after a 6-5 loss in Kitchener the night before.

“I think our guys were probably gripping their sticks tightly at the beginning, but as the game wore on, we settled into our style and fortunately we were successful,” said coach Geoff Haddaway.

IT’S GOOD TO BE HOME Elmira’s Josh Ranalli advances on a pair of Kitchener defenders during game three Mar. 1. The Sugar Kings notched their first win on home ice and followed it up with a second win at home Mar. 4

In the match Feb. 28, Kitchener built up a three-goal lead in the first period, outshooting the Kings 16-4.

The second period was all about Elmira, however, as they claimed the lead with four unanswered goals. Kyle McNeil scored a pair of power play goals and Brent Freeman added another two, with assists going to Josh Ranalli, Jon Jutzi, McNeil, and Patrick Shantz.

The Dutchmen tied things at four apiece 40 seconds into the final frame. Kyle Blaney edged Elmira out in front again, but Shawn Bechtloff evened the game up before Kitchener’s Matt Murphy finished things off with the game-winning goal.

“We didn’t get off to a great start,” Haddaway said. “Their goals were good goals from their point of view, [we had] some breakdowns in our end. Once we got going in the second period, I thought we did well; we just came a little short.”

The Dutchmen arrived in Elmira for game three the following night, with a substantial number of Kitchener fans following them.

Blaney said the Kings tried to ignore any pressure in being down two games.

“We didn’t want to take the mentality that our backs were against the wall,” he said. “We just tried to stay comfortable, that it was game 3 and we were just having our first game at home.”

Kitchener scooped up the puck straight off the opening faceoff, peppering Williams with shots before DeJong scored just 36 seconds in.

The Kings steadied and answered back two minutes later. Ranalli rounded the net and backhanded the puck to the slot, where Freeman flicked it in.

Ranalli’s attempt to bat in a flying puck with an overhand swing a few minutes later missed the net. It was the Dutchmen that pulled ahead at 12:35, with Justin Knee putting one past Williams on a pass from Tony Blyde. The first period ended 2-1.

Philip Teri put paid to Kitchener’s lead 30 seconds into the second frame, scoring off the faceoff on a feed from Blaney and Michael Therrien.

The Kings moved out in front four minutes later; Freeman fed the puck to McNeil, who let a shot rip from the blueline and pasted it past keeper Matt Smith.

Kitchener battered away at the Kings’ lead in the second period and kept the crowd on the edge of their seats with several dangerous shots, but Williams dug in between the goalposts and kept everything out.

“Jake was really solid in net,” Haddaway said. “We don’t need our goaltending to win us games, we just need it to be solid and give us a chance to win, and that’s what he did.”

Zach Salomon clinched the victory at 6:06, snagging the puck on a Kitchener turnover and putting a wrist shot into the back of the net.

It was the third time in as many games that the Kings have had to come back from an early deficit.

“Getting off to a good start would be nice; we’ve sort of fallen behind in all three games,” Haddaway said. “It’s nice we can bounce back, but it puts you in a tougher spot, having to come back against a great team like Kitchener.”

Tuesday’s game saw the visiting Kings fight back to 5-4, after coughing up two quick goals in the first period.

A turnover at centre ice allowed Kitchener’s Jordan Hardy to bank one in on the first shift, just 37 seconds into the game. Assists went to Mike Doran and Shawn Bechtloff
“We left [goalie] Brandon [Wysman] hanging out to dry, sort of, and we paid the price: we don’t want to give up odd-man rushes to these guys and we did that in the very first shift of the game and they scored,” said Haddaway after the game.

“They’re very, very strong in transition, so, if you give them a chance at centre ice or blue line, they’ll come guns a blazing.”

Dutchmen Collin Carwardine, from Tony Blyde and Matthew DeJong added another at 1:20 to make it 2-0. Being caught flatfooted and unaware might have been the motif in the first period, however, as the Sugar Kings returned the barb a few seconds later when Trent Brown, from Brent Freeman and Josh Ranalli, made it a 2-1 game at 1:56.

Before the first period buzzer sounded, the Dutchmen got back on the marker scoring two successive goals at 7:37 and 18:03. Alex Lubczuk, from Tanner DeWitt and Bechtloff, and Doran, from Duston Hebebrand and Collin Cawardine, increased their team’s lead to 4-2.

Netminder Wysman was yanked in favour of Jake Williams, after 20 minutes of play, allowing four goals on 15 shots.

Kitchener continued building on its lead in the second period when Lubczuk, from Duston Hebebrand, made it 5-1 just 57 seconds into the middle frame.

Clearly in need of a reaction, the Kings plugged in their energy lines. Kyle Blaney, from Paul Thompson and Brown converted on the power play at 15:29 of the second stanza to make it 5-2.

Blaney, playing with Tyler Kuntz and Michael Therrien, as well as Zach Salomon, Jarred Parent, and Nic McEachern, hustled out, applying pressure and blocking shots. Andrew Smith, call-up Brock Gerber, a former Applejack, and Paul Thompson, also got into the game helping spark a buzz amongst their teammates.

“I asked them to create some energy and they went out and scored … I guess they accomplished their goal,” said Haddaway.

In the third period, Blaney, from Kuntz and Brown, again on the power play, potted his second at 3:34. Smith put his team within inches of a tie, converting on Gerber’s assist at 11:19 to make it 5-4.

Unfortunately for the Kings however, the Dutchmen were able to grind through the remaining half of the third period without giving up another goal, earning their first win in the series.

“We did run out of time but you can’t look at it and say, ‘if there were five more minutes left’ – well, we had 60 minutes to do the job; we didn’t do it in those 60 minutes, so the blame lays at our feet and no one else’s,” said Haddaway.

Despite the unfavourable conclusion to game-one, the Kings noted there were positives to be found.

“It’s nice to know that we can compete with that team; we just have to put a full 60 minutes together if we want to come out on top; we need to play the whole game, can’t take any shifts off or they’re going to capitalize,” said Kuntz.

The fact that his team was able to rally back from such a significant deficit was encouraging.

Once the Kings started “moving their feet” they were able to create some havoc in front of the net and were able to scrape their way back into the game, said Haddaway.

“You’ve got to draw some positives out of every game. I think we learned, hopefully, reinforced that if we try and do things their way, then we’re going to be in trouble. If we give them opportunities in transition or odd man rushes, they’re just so talented that we’re asking for trouble.”

The Kings are in Kitchener tonight (Saturday) for game two, before coming home on Sunday for game three in Elmira. The puck drops at 7 p.m.

Freeman also picked up the Standard Life Insurance award for sportsmanship and ability.

“It was an honour to be recognized by the league like that,” Freeman told the Observer.

“I’ve worked hard these five years in this league, so it felt good. There are a lot of good players, so I don’t know if I deserved it but it still felt good,” said the assistant captain.

Freeman moved to the Kings after a two-year stint with the Listowel Cyclones. Now in his fifth and final season, the speedy forward has become a cornerstone of the team, picking up 29 goals and 45 assists for 74 points and earning a tenth-place finish in the conference’s overall scoring leaders race.

“With Brent Freeman you know you’re going to get an honest effort every single night: he creates a lot of offence just through his speed. And he is a good defensive player because of his speed that he’s not afraid to engage – he’s got some real offensive talent,” said Sugar King coach Geoff Haddaway.

Though Freeman has without a doubt improved over the last few years with the Kings, his potent velocity, deft stick-handling skills and his generous playmaking abilities have made him one of the team’s most exciting players to watch. Prone to explosive bursts across the rink, the Linwood native is a crucial component of the Kings project.

“He’s an older player, so he’s got smarts. He knows the league, so he creates a lot of turnovers, but if there’s a mistake, just because he’s smart and with decent speed he can get himself back into good position or cover for teammates – we use him in all situations,” said Haddaway.

“There’s no question that when the crunch time comes, whether it’s power play, penalty kill, or late in games, Brent Freeman will always be on the ice,” he added, noting that Freeman might be one of the more underrated players in the league. Consequently, the recent recognition was timely and deserving.

“He goes about things in the right way: there are no cheap shots with him, he’s not a verbal player, he just gets out there and plays.”

Freeman’s teammate Trent Brown also received some accolades this week, earning a spot on the conference’s second all star squad. Though the Ayr native may have struggled a little in the early going of the season, he quickly settled in and went on to become one of the team’s most solid blueliners.

“The last half of the season Trent’s been really good; he’s been stronger defensively than he ever has been. His defensive game has significantly improved over last year, he’s seeing a lot more penalty killing time and his offensive numbers have gone up,” said Haddaway.

Brown also has good vision for setting up his forwards, and often does so with smooth efficacy – especially on the power play.

“I don’t think it’s any coincidence that since Christmas our power play numbers are a lot higher than they were in the first half of the season – that coincides with Trent and others, but specifically, Trent finding his game,” said Haddaway.

This year the elegant blue-liner earned himself a third-place finish on the defencemen’s scoring leaders’ list, picking up 10 goals and 30 assists – nine of those goals and 17 of those assists came while on the man-advantage.

“It feels good. A bunch of guys up there that I’m in that caliber with – it’s awesome,” said Brown, noting that he and his teammates hit their stride once lines started to click, and chemistry to develop.

“I think most times when you get two out of three games, you’re probably pretty pleased, but I think our guys were expecting to win all three,” said head coach Geoff Haddaway. “We

COMING THROUGH Tyler Kuntz flies past an Owen Sound defender during the Elmira Sugar Kings’ game against the Greys Feb. 15. Kuntz had a pair of goals and an assist in the 9-2 blasting of the last-place team.

bounced back nicely and played a really good road game [on Saturday], but our guys would have been obviously much happier if we got all three.”

On Feb. 13, the Kings took a 2-1 lead in the opening frame, courtesy of a power play goal from Kyle McNeil and a second marker from Kyle Blaney.

But Elmira handed the Siskins four power play opportunities in the second, and Waterloo tied things up with a power play goal.

Josh Ranalli scored 30 seconds into the third period to reclaim the lead, but Waterloo came back with two unanswered goals, one of them on the power play, to make it 4-3. With 38 seconds left in the game, and the Kings hunting for a tying goal, the Siskins slid the puck into the empty net to clinch the win.

“We had a solid game but we let penalties take us over and our emotions take us over,” said forward Philip Teri. “We let them get back into the game and we lost a game we thought we should have won.”

The Kings didn’t let the loss rattle them, coming back with a solid, controlled game in Guelph Saturday night. The Kings doubled the Dominators’ shots, holding Guelph to 24 while firing 48 of their own.

Blaney opened the scoring with an unassisted goal 14 minutes into the first period. After a scoreless second period, McNeil made it 2-0 with three minutes left in the game. Guelph finally got on the board with a minute and a half to go, and the game ended 2-1.

“We certainly controlled the play, you could tell just by the shots, but Brandon Wysman was really solid in net too,” Haddaway said. “We didn’t give up a lot of chances but the ones we did give up, he was there for the most part to bail us out.”

Returning to home ice on Sunday, the Kings ganged up on the Owen Sound Greys for the third time in as many games, hammering the struggling squad 9-2.

Teri led off the scoring 52 seconds in, blasting the puck past Owen Sound keeper George Grammenopoulos. He followed that up with a second goal six minutes later, backhanding in the rebound on a shot from Tyler Kuntz.

Tomorrow’s (Sunday) matchup could end up being a preview of the first round, as the Kings take on Listowel at home. Game time is 7 p.m.

Owen Sound notched only one penalty in the first period but gave up five power play opportunities in the second frame, including a 5-on-3.

Elmira converted on three of the power plays, with goals from McNeil, Jarred Parent, and Ranalli. Kuntz added another goal, putting the perfect finish on a cross from Teri, to make it 6-0 for the home squad by the end of the second.

Teri completed a hat trick 18 seconds into the third frame, carrying the puck up the left side and letting a wrist shot rip from the circle.

Two minutes in, Trent Hawke put Owen Sound on the board, flicking the puck over Wysman’s trapper.

At 12:38, new recruit Andrew Smith notched his first goal for the Kings to make it 8-1. Owen Sound’s Matt Reid scored the Greys’ only power play goal with four and a half minutes to go, but it did little to dent Elmira’s lead. Finally, with three minutes remaining, Kuntz found the mesh with his second of the game to make the final score 9-2.

“You can say whatever you want to the guys, but they know ahead of time that it’s probably going to be a really one-sided game,” Haddaway said of Sunday’s contest. “I was pleased with the fact that our guys came out and competed hard. I didn’t see any guys cheating, waiting for pucks so they could get goals or get assists. I thought they competed really hard.”

It was a good night for the line of Teri, Kuntz and Therrien, who combined for five goals.

“They’ve been playing well for quite a few games now, so for them to get on the scoreboard and get rewarded that way was nice,” Haddaway said.

“At practice the other night, Geoff [Haddaway]kind of called us out on being better defensively and we told him we were up to that task,” Teri said. “Right away he gave us more ice time because he gave us more responsibility, so we’re happy with that and we thought we did well.”

The Kings’ latest addition, Andrew Smith, got a rapid introduction to junior hockey, playing all three games on the weekend. Smith signed with the team after his high school season at Resurrection ended.

Haddaway said Smith is making the transition as well as can be expected, having missed training camp and the regular season to jump in before the playoffs.

“It’s a big jump from high school to junior,” Haddaway said. “Someone like Andrew and some of the premier high school players … they’re taking two and three-minute shifts because they’re allowed to do that kind of thing. They come to our level and it’s 20 to 30 seconds and get off the ice. The speed is so much higher.”

The Kings have a lock on seventh place, but their opponent in the first round of the playoffs will be determined by this weekend’s games. Before the weekend, Waterloo, Kitchener and Listowel were in a dead heat for second with 66 points each.

Knowing the team has defeated all three of the second-place contenders gives the Kings some confidence, Teri said.

“We think we can beat all three of them.”

Tomorrow’s (Sunday) matchup could end up being a preview of the first round, as the Kings take on Listowel at home. Game time is 7 p.m.

IT’S HIS WEEK Elmira Sugar King defenceman Trent Brown ins congratulated by Bob Cummings last week after being named the Mid-Western Conference Junior B player of the week.

The Kings (20-23-5) are now in 17th place in the league, and seventh place in the conference. With four games remaining on the season calendar, the Kings are six points ahead of the Guelph Dominators, and 31 ahead of Owen Sound. This season the Kings have outscored the Greys 32-10.

Despite their 12-0 shellacking of the Greys, Sugar Kings’ coach Geoff Haddaway acknowledged that his team’s performance against the foundering squad Feb. 6 wasn’t perfect.

“We didn’t actually play very well in the first period; I think the shots were 8-8 or 9-9 after the first period, but really, all three of our shots should have been saved, so, a lot of times you go up there you struggle with your legs a bit just because of the bus ride,” said the coach.

It didn’t take the Kings long to gain their footing, however.

PRELUDE TO A GOAL Elmira Sugar King Michael Therrien draws Kitchener goalie Jordan Bowes to his blocker side before backhanding the puck in for Elmira’s third goal of the night Feb. 8. The Kings lost the home game 6-3.

“After that we really sort of got to our game plan and they struggled to keep up. We just kept pushing the puck in deep – they had a really short bench and I think we just wore them out.”

And wear them out they did.

Kyle Blaney opened the scoring for the Kings at 2:13 of the first period and the bloodletting continued well into the third and final frame as the Kings potted one goal after another. Brent Freeman, who connected with line mates Josh Ranalli and Kyle McNeil for a combined 12 points, netted three; Zach Salomon buried two, and Nic MacEachern, Jarred Parent, Jake Jefferies, Kyle McNeil, Trent Brown, and Shane Smith potted one each to make it an unforgiving 12-0 ravaging of the home side.

Elmira goalie Jake Williams earned his second shutout of the season, stopping all 22 shots he faced.

Next up was a very different game against the Kitchener Dutchmen in Elmira Feb. 8.

Kitchener drew first blood at 1:20, when Tony Blyde converted on an Andrew Wilson pass.

But it didn’t take long for Elmira to get back into the game, and at 4:29 Paul Thompson, from Salomon and Smith made it 1-1.

Kitchener, however, got the best of the Kings in the initial frame, adding two more goals, courtesy of Shane Bainbridge (Alex McCaffrey and Duston Hebebrand) at 5:38 and Blyde (Justin Knee) at 18:38.

The second period saw the Dutchmen extend their lead by a four goal margin, adding two more goals to make it a 5-1 game. Matthew DeJong from Justin Knee netted a short-hander at 3:23 and Todd Martin (Bainbridge) potted his first on the night to make it 5-1 at 11:12.

The Kings managed to squeak one in at 15:07, courtesy of Tyler Kuntz on the power play; Jeff Zippel and Ranalli picked up an assist each.

In the third period Kitchener added another goal to its basket, making it 6-2 at 13:13 on the strength of a Mike Doran goal on the power play; Hebebrand and Todd Martin picked up the helpers.

The Kings battled back to get into the game and, convinced it wasn’t over, kept pushing.

Michael Therrien scored a beauty at 16:04, cutting in close on Jordan Bowes’ blocker side before banking in the puck on his back hand, threading it through the goalie’s glove hand side.
But by this point it was too little too late: Kitchener successfully thwarted Elmira’s desperate attempts to reverse the course of the game.

“I don’t think we matched Kitchener’s intensity – no excuses, they were just the better team,” said Haddaway, who praised the effort of his team’s secondary, grinder lines.

“I also thought it showed that we have some guys on our team that escape the limelight – like Parent, Salomon and  Thompson – I thought they had really strong games; I thought they were probably the most energetic – Tyler Kuntz is another guy – you don’t hear very often; they just had really solid games and showed that if other guys aren’t going they can step up and assume bigger roles.”

Those players, consequently, saw a lot of playing time in both games. And that’s something that wasn’t lost on Salomon, a former Cambridge Winter Hawk who was acquired by the Kings mid-season.

“We’re a fourth line, but we know we have to work our way up,” said Salomon, who plays with Thompson, and usually, a rotating winger, oftentimes a call-up.

“We’re more of an energy line and sometimes when we keep on working we get points; we sometimes get rewarded with a little more ice time,” he said.

“[Thompson] is a good, hard worker; he’s a rookie like myself; we both know what we have to do to move up lines and possibly get more ice time next year and become stronger players so, we’re both developing and are both on the same page,” said Salomon, noting that if the Kings maintain the same level of hockey in the playoffs, they should do well in the post season.

It’s a busy weekend for the Kings, who follow a Friday night visit to Waterloo with a game in Guelph Saturday before returning home to face Owen Sound Sunday night. Game time at the Elmira Arena is 7 p.m.

On Jan. 30, playing with a short bench and missing some key scorers, the Kings just couldn’t hit their stride. Coach Geoff Haddaway said the team “just didn’t compete, right from the opening faceoff.”

Things were tied 1-1 at the end of the first period, thanks to a goal from Michael Therrien five minutes in. But Stratford added three unanswered goals in the second period and another pair in the third to walk off with the win.

The Kings turned things around on Sunday and put on a good show for the fans who decided to forgo the Super Bowl for hockey, shutting down Cambridge’s offence and hammering the Hawks around their own net.

Kyle Blaney wheels toward the net during the Sugar Kings game against Cambridge Feb. 1. Blaney notched a second-period goal for Elmira in the win.

Cambridge now has the two top scorers in the league, as Anthony Colizza and Greg Virgo have moved past Brantford’s sharp shooters to top the standings. The Kings held the Winter Hawks to 29 shots, while firing 48 of their own at Cambridge keeper Dave Clement.

“I thought we were good right from the opening faceoff to the final buzzer,” said coach Geoff Haddaway. “They certainly have three or four really gifted offensive players, but we made a concentrated effort to make life difficult for those guys and I thought for the most part we did a good job.”

The Kings were first on the board with an unexpected goal at 7:22. Call-up Rob Hinshberger snagged a loose puck when a Cambridge defender went down and beat Clement handily for the point.

Five minutes later, Josh Ranalli made it 2-0 on the power play. Kyle McNeil carried the puck in front of the net, and Ranalli drove it home.

The Kings widened their lead in the second period. At 11:25, after pounding Cambridge with a barrage of shots, Kyle Blaney blasted through to make it 3-0. Four minutes later, Ranalli raced down the ice on a breakaway and wired a pass across to McNeil, who knocked it in. The period ended with Elmira up four and Cambridge still shut out.

Cambridge finally got on the board 48 seconds into the third frame. Josh Woolley fed the puck to Tanner Rutland, who found a hole in Elmira’s defence and blasted a shot past Jake Williams.

“I think that [goal] was just hopefully a reminder that we’re a team that can’t let our guard down for even one shift; if we do, we’re going to get punished,” Haddaway said. “I thought we bounced back from that really well.”

Indeed, the Kings clamped down on Cambridge’s offence and allowed nothing else through for the rest of the game. With three minutes to go, Therrien capped the win with a power play goal on a feed from Trent Brown.

“The last few games, we’ve been playing great as a team,” Therrien said. “We can finally score too. We’ve outshot most of the teams we played all year, but now we’ve finally found that scoring touch.”

After last night’s game in Owen Sound, the Kings have just five regular-season matches remaining, but Haddaway said they aren’t thinking as far ahead as the playoffs just yet.

“We have to be careful. Every time we think we’re better than we are, we get ourselves into trouble, so we really want to concentrate just on our next game and put our last game behind us, whether it was a good result or a bad result.”
The Kings face Kitchener on home ice Sunday. The puck drops at 7 p.m.