Adam Prudhomme
Editor
In a span of about six minutes, just a couple metres apart from one another, both NDSS Golden Hawks hockey teams punched their ticket to the next round of the KASSAA playoffs on Wednesday afternoon.
Both games were going on simultaneously on the twin pads of the Strathcona Paper Centre, both teams facing the Frontenac Falcons. The NDSS boys won their quarter-finals match 4-1 on the Home Hardware Rink while the NDSS girls held on for a 5-3 victory on the Goodyear rink in their semifinal match, advancing to the finals on March 1.
The boys’ match got underway about half an hour before the girls, though with so many disruptions due to several penalties being handed out, the two games concluded at nearly the same time.
Carter Hartwick got the Hawks off to a soaring start, scoring just 11 seconds after the opening draw. Zered Haller earned the assist on the play.
NDSS’ Carter McKee skates in on a break away en route to scoring a goal in Napanee’s 4-1 win over Frontenac in the KASSAA quarter-finals on Wednesday. Photo by Adam Prudhomme.
Carter McKee added a second goal later in the first, unassisted, while Kohen Cutler tacked on Napanee’s third goal of the game also in the second period, likewise unassisted.
Despite the 3-0 advantage, undisciplined play kept the door open for their opponents. Napanee wound up drawing 11 penalties while the Falcons took just four. NDSS’ penalty-kill unit was kept busy and for the most part, was able to answer the call.
Sam Richard allowed just one goal in Napanee’s 4-1 victory. Photo by Adam Prudhomme.
McKee gave the Hawks some breathing room with his second of the game with just under six minutes to play with Ethan Boutillier drawing the assist.
That goal came not a moment too soon as the Falcons finally broke through with a power-play goal just a few seconds later.
Hawks goalie Sam Richard shut the door from there, clinching the Hawks victory and advancing them to the semifinals. NDSS is set to take on the Holy Cross crusaders on Monday at the Invista Centre, with a trip to the March 1 KASSAA finals on the line.
NDSS’ girls hockey club has already earned its spot in the finals, though getting there wasn’t without its tense moments.
Napanee looked well on its way to booking a trip to Kingston, leading 4-1 with less than four minutes to play.
The Falcons, who entered the season as the 2022 reigning KASSAA champions, weren’t about to go away quietly. They rallied to score a pair of goals in just over a minute, closing the gap to 4-3 with two minutes to play. Desperate for the equalizer they pulled their goalie. NDSS was able to use that to their advantage however as Jaidyn Manion gained control of the puck at centre ice and flicked the puck from just inside the Falcon zone, sliding it all the way into the empty net to push the lead to 5-3.
NDSS’ Kristen Sutton controls the puck with a Falcons’ skater pressuring. Photo by Adam Prudhomme.
Manion also scored Napanee’s first goal of the game, collecting a rebound shot from Avery Breault and rifling the puck into the net. Sienna Eberle also earned an assist on the play.
Abby Birdsell had Napanee’s second goal, converting on a 2-on-1 break away with help from Sophie Fraser.
Alaina Holmes and Taylor Gilmour also had goals for Napanee with Nikki Weese picking up two assists and Ella Mulder one.
Meena Peterson earned the win for Napanee.
The Hawks will now await the winner of the La Salle and Holy Cross semifinals to determine whom they will play for the league title on Wednesday. Puck drop for the finals is set for 12:30 p.m. on the Selkirk rink of Kingston’s Invista Centre.