November 3, 2024

MUSKOKA BEARS GO DOWN 10-1 AS KINGS CROWN TEAM NOT IN THEIR JR. C LEAGUE

BRACEBRIDGE — A third of the way through their rookie season, the Muskoka Bears have two wins, 11 losses and 1 shoot-out loss.

Their latest loss last night was against the visiting 7-7 Penetang Kings, who were in another league in the Jr. C Provincial Junior Hockey League.

A double-digit shutout was avoided just past the midwday mark at 12:04 of the third period when the Bears’ Owen Vandusen pounded away at the Kings’ Landon Simec to poke one past the game winner in a 10-1 Penetang win.

New Bears goalie Gabriel Donohue was beat four times before being pulled for Connor Sampson, who gave up six more in a 10-1 loss to the penetrating Penetang Kings last night. Photos Mark Cliarmont, MuskokaTODAY.com

The rest of the game was all Kings, who scored three goals each in the first and third periods and four in the middle frame. Two of them were on the power play.

But it was the shots on goal where they excelled — scoring about every third time they hit the net with 32 shots. At one point it was half the time scoring with 9 goals in 20 shots.

That left the home crowd shaking their heads as they couldn’t turn away for a second or look down at their phones without the Kings scoring.

The Bears’ lone goal was their 30^th of 32 shots at 12:24 of the final frame. They had only two more shots the final 7:06 of the game.

It was another blowout for the first-year team, which showed its lack of depth not only in scoring, but most areas of their game.

The Bears who won their second game (against Midland, who they also lost 3-1 to Friday night) during a three-game road trip, returned home without their regular coach Jake Yard who is away six weeks for previously planned personal reasons.

Barry Hammond was behind the bench with the coaching team, who could be seen to have drawn up plays to break out of their own end. But that the players couldn’t execute to the same winning degrees as the Kings who did it more often and frequently scoring.

That was the difference in 10 goals and 1.

**The Kings scored 10 times on 32 shots and before that scored 9 times on 20 shots.**

Muskoka’s defence is generally ineffective and porous.

The team’s new backup goalie Dominique Donohue gave up four goals before turning over the net to their No. 1 netminder Connor Sampson, who hasn’t fared much better this season. He gave up six more Saturday night at the Muskoka Lumber Community Centre.

Both goalies gave up crippling break-away goals.

Donohue allowed back-to-back goals 92 seconds apart in the second, while Sampson was beaten 31 seconds into the third and 1:06 later.

The Bracebridge-based team did have their chances, but even Vandusen and Ryder Hergaarden were stripped of pucks on breakaway attempts, while the Kings later picked the pocket of a Bears D for a goal.

The Kings were at least entertaining to watch for the crowd 421.

A perfect three-way play led to their third goal at 7:27. It was the first of a hat-trick by Tanner Thayer. He also scored at 15:38 of the first and 12:14 of the second. Helping him were Cole Rumbolt with a pair at 13:06 of the first and 5:35 of the second. Aidan Gravel had a goal at 9:48 of the second, followed by Owen Fuller at 19:25. In the third Wyndam Brownlee opened at 31 seconds, followed by Carter Wilson at 1:37 and Ethan Boyes rounded out the scoring at 19:10.

The Bears have a week off to deal with a couple of injuries and are home Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m., Nov. 10, to Midland, who they lost 3-1 to on Friday night.

Muskoka has 28 games left to improve their season record.