Mar 27, 2024 | Mackenzie | 116 views
Applekings are Senior A Champions!
The Georgian Bay Applekings became OEHL Senior A Champions in their inaugural season with a 7-5 Game 7 Win over the Milverton Four Wheel Drives on Sunday, March 24, 2024.
MEAFORD, ON
The Georgian Bay Applekings took home the Hugh McLean Trophy as Senior A Champions of the Ontario Elite Hockey League (OEHL) on Sunday, March 24, 2024. The winning game was a game 7 victory over the Milverton 4 Wheel Drives in front of 700+ fans at the Meaford & St.Vincent Community Centre.
The Applekings came out to a bagpipe entrance in front of a huge crowd and clearly it got the guys firing on all cylinders as they got out to a 4-0 1st period lead. The first goal came just 3 minutes into the game on a goal from Neal Ross, his 7th of the playoffs from Evan Buehler and Kevin Shuttleworth. On their next shift, those 3 got on the scoreboard yet again. This time on a goal from Buehler, his 2nd of the playoffs from Ross and Shuttleworth. Then 10 minutes later, Ross buried his 2nd of the game, assisted by Buehler and Mike Redick. 10 SECONDS after that, Jake Robitaille got on the board after a slick move beyond the blue line and an absolute laser past the goalie, his 2nd of the playoffs assisted by Jamie Wise and Connor Long. The first period came to an end shortly after that and the Applekings received a standing ovation send off back to the locker room.
The second period was definitely more even as the play went back and forth for the 1st 10 minutes with both goalies making some clutch saves. The Drives finally got on the board with a goal from Boertien, his 6th of the playoffs with 7 minutes left in the period. It looked like that was going to be it for the period, but Neal Ross potted home his hat trick goal with just over a minute left in the period, his 9th of the playoffs, assisted by Buehler and Mitchell Good. The Applekings were going into the 3rd period with a 5-1 lead and feeling good.
The 3rd period showed some sloppy hockey both ways to begin the period, with the Drives breaking through with 3 goals in less than a minute from Vittelli (1st of playoffs), Quipp (5th of Playoffs) and another from Boertien (7th of playoffs). After that flurry, Coach Dinsmore took a timeout to settle the Applekings and it worked. The guys took the game back to Milverton and never looked back. With 4 minutes left in the game, Evan Buehler potted his 2nd of the game on a beautiful individual effort with the eventual game-winning goal, assisted by Neal Ross. Then 2 minutes later with the goalie pulled, Mackenzie Fleming (7th of the playoffs) potted the dagger empty net goal to secure the game with a 3-goal lead. Milverton's Langlois did get another with 35 seconds remaining, but it was too little too late at that point.
The Applekings played a great final game in the series to lock up the Hugh McLean Trophy in front of a big, supportive crowd in attendance!
Player of the Game Honors were split this night between:
Neal Ross 3 goals, 2 assists
Evan Buehler 2 goals, 3 assists
Both guys were all over the puck all night long.
Congratulations to all of the players, staff, fans and sponsors on the Senior A Championship.
We will see you back at the rink next season!