BEARS CAN’T WAIT TO GET ON ROAD AFTER WEEKEND LOSSES LOOKING FOR WINS — BUT IT WON’T BE EASY

Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com

BRACEBRIDGE — On the road again, the Bears just can’t wait to get on the road again.

The Muskoka Jr. C team should be glad to head out of town this coming weekend for three away games Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

The only problem is they’re against Alliston, Orillia, Stayner — the best three teams in their PJHL Caruthers division this year and last.

Kevin Demeules, who had the Bears’ first goal 1:48 into the game Saturday night looks for a pass out front as Kings goalie Landon Simec and teammates Isaac Locker and Blake Weicker try to stop him. PHOTOS Mark Clairmont MuskokaTODAY.com

In six games the south Muskoka team has earned their only two wins — 4-2 in Huntsville and 5-2 Innisfil — both road wins.

With losses at home to Orillia 6-1 this past Friday and the following night Saturday 8-2 to visiting Penetang.

Muskoka first losses were in 5-0 in Alliston to start the season and 3-2 at home against Huntsville.

So after another pair of losses this weekend at the Muskoka Lumber Community Centre the Bears face tough competition getting back in the win column.

But with just six players returning from their first year roster they’re finding it hard to gain a groove especially scoring.

Their first weekend they dented the twine just twice in two losses; the second weekend they did find the back of the net nine times; but this weekend only three times.

The scoring total in six games = 12 goals for an average of two a game.

Not enough to win most nights in this wide-open Jr. C hockey league.

See Friday game story here.

Saturday the Bears looked tired — definitely in the third.

Coach Jeff Saunders has been working his top two lines relentlessly. Relying on them to set the tone for Ws.

And they’ve had their chances. Lots of them. But have faced mostly stiff defensive forwards, steady D lines and hot goalies despite firing plenty of rubber at sharper opponent netminders.

The Bears had the first and last goals this Saturday, but were outscored 3-1 and 5-1 in the first and third stanzas with a scoreless middle frame.

Slick newcomer Kevin Demeules opened the game and scoring with his third of the season on a great shot at 1:48 giving them and their 250 fans a burst of optimism.

But it took till 17:39 of the third for second-six winger Mason Taylor-Wood to pop his first and round out their minimal scoring by finally beating Landon Simec again.

Mason Taylor-Wood, Muskoka’s second goal scorer, eyes a feed to centre from the corner. His was a good goal late in the game at 17:39 of the third for the second-sixer taking some pressure off the top lines that coach Jeff Saunders has maybe relied on too much with ice time for scoring.

In between the Kings — playing only their third game this season — picked away with eight goals, including two minutes apart in the first at 13:29 and 14:29 by Owen Fuller and then Caiden Pattenden on the power play.

They finished off the period with Cole Rumbolt scoring with only 11 seconds to go in communications error between Kyle Downey and his defencemen.

Play was even in the scoreless second period in a surprisingly light night for penalties: the Bears off five times for 10 minutes, the Kings three for six minutes — all minors.

Period three began quickly again, only this time with the Kings’ Spencer Walker on the power play beating Downey who started the second night in a row.

Penetang continued to score at 2:36 from Brycen Kingma before Downey was beat again 19 seconds later by Trevor Hutchison at 11:58. Noah Johnston at 12:17 made it 7-2.

Pattendden made it a seven-goal difference at 15:30.

The Bears out-shot the Kings 35-31.

Muskoka is back home to Orillia Friday Oct. 10 at 7:30 p.m.

Liam Cardiff and Aiden Pethic get elbows up as one of the two referees is forced get his own elbow up in the scoreless second period.

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