NEWS ITEM

Friday, December 03rd, 2010

 

Navy Vets, Merchants going streaking this weekend
By CORY SMITH, SENTINEL-REVIEW

WOODSTOCK -- The Woodstock Navy Vets will try to start one streak this weekend, while the Norwich Merchants will try to continue another.

Woodstock is coming off a 5-3 win Saturday against the Caledonia Corvairs. It was the Navy Vets' third point in two games, but the club will try to string together two wins for the first time this season tonight when the Paris Mounties visit Southwood Arena at 7:45 p.m.

Woodstock (3-13-4) is chasing Paris (7-11-1) for fifth place in the Niagara west division. The Mounties have one game in hand and have three more wins on the road (five) than at home.

Tonight will also mark the return of defenceman Chance Hasenbacher. The Navy Vets traded the 17-year-old Brantford native to Paris this week for future considerations. In 10 games with Woodstock, Hasenbacher had two assists and four penalty minutes.

Saturday, the Navy Vets will head to Aylmer to face the fourth-place Spitfires. Aylmer doubled Woodstock, 6-3, in their last meeting Nov. 12.

In Norwich, the Merchants host Aylmer tonight at 8 p.m. The Merchants are coming off a 6-5 shootout loss Sunday in Simcoe, just their second defeat of the season. But Norwich (17-0-2) has yet to lose in 19 regulation games, which is officially past the season's midway point.

The Merchants' 92 goals scored ranks third in the division and fourth in the Niagara League, while their 38 goals against is far and away tops among 12 teams.

New Hamburg is the other team to have defeated Norwich in a shootout, and the teams will meet Saturday in New Hamburg. The Firebirds have slipped recently, dropping three of their last five games. New Hamburg trails Norwich by seven points, despite playing three more games, but is only one point ahead of Simcoe for second place.

Norwich won the last meeting between the teams, 5-1.

 

corysmith@bowesnet.com