SMITHS FALLS — The Smiths Falls Bears gave fans plenty to cheer about during the final week of the regular season, skating to three straight victories on home ice against Hawkesbury, Navan and Brockville.
The Bears opened the homestand with a 5-2 win over the Hawkesbury Hawks on Thursday, followed with another 5-2 victory over the Navan Grads Friday night, and wrapped things up in emphatic fashion Sunday afternoon with a 10-3 win over the Brockville Braves.
The strong finish helped cement Smiths Falls’ position atop their division with 79 points and second overall in the CCHL standings. The Bears also climbed to 11th in the final CJHL national rankings of the season.
Quick strike sets tone against Hawkesbury
It took just 10 seconds for the Bears to get on the board Thursday night against the Hawkesbury Hawks.
Carter Beauchesne, recently named the CCHL Rookie of the Month for February, opened the scoring seconds into the game. Hawkesbury responded when Edward Downey tied the contest at 7:52, but Smiths Falls regained the lead with a goal by Luka Benoit at 10:18.
Andrea Blais added the only goal of the second period at 10:17 to extend the Bears’ advantage.
Smiths Falls continued to control the play in the third. D.J. Ott, who is committed to Adrian College in the NCAA next season, scored at 12:56, while Tyson Parker added another at 17:15.
John Kenney scored on a power play for the Hawks at 19:22 to round out the scoring, but the Bears skated away with a solid 5-2 victory.
Third-period push lifts Bears past Navan
The Bears delighted fans Friday night at the Den while sporting their classic maroon-and-white heritage jerseys in a matchup with the Navan Grads.
The game got off to a rough start for Smiths Falls as Navan jumped out to an early two-goal lead in the opening period. Andrew Waugh opened the scoring with a power-play goal at 6:34, followed just 21 seconds later by Wake Purdy.
Alex Fortier put the Bears on the board late in the period, scoring at 19:54.
After a scoreless but hard-fought second period, Smiths Falls took control in the third.
Jacob Smith tied the game at 1:55 before Jack Paquette gave the Bears the lead at 5:18. Davis Hails extended the advantage at 11:00, and Luka Benoit sealed the win with another goal at 12:05.
Outshooting Navan 38-25, the Bears earned a 5-2 victory.
Jacob Smith was named first star, Jack Paquette second star, and Navan’s Andrew Waugh received third star honours.
Awards night capped by dominant win over Braves
Before puck drop in Sunday’s final home game of the regular season against the Brockville Braves, the Bears held their annual fan-voted player awards ceremony.
Bears governor Josh Filoso presented Tyson Parker with the Joel Cyr Memorial Trophy as Top Forward. Filoso also awarded D.J. Ott the Best Defenceman Award in memory of Gerry Lowe. The Robbie Hull Fan Favourite Award, presented by Hull himself, went to Jackson Heron.
Dave Ingimundson and his daughter presented the team’s MVP Award to Parker.
The Bears carried that celebratory energy straight into the game.
Andrea Blais opened the scoring at 2:27, followed by a power-play goal from Ott at 5:46. Marc-Antoine Riopel extended the lead to 3-0 with another power-play marker at 14:23.
Brockville briefly fought back early in the second period with three quick goals from Drake Sled (0:44), Jack Lowry (1:21) and Carter Cuglietta (3:29) to tie the game.
The Bears quickly regained control.
Caeden Heins restored the lead at 6:41, Riopel scored his second of the night at 10:59, and Parker added another at 14:54. Blake Sheridan closed out the second period scoring at 18:32.
Smiths Falls kept rolling in the third. Beauchesne scored on the power play at 2:44, Peyton Veltkamp added another at 6:16, and Jackson Heron capped the afternoon with a power-play goal at 17:32.
The Bears outshot Brockville 43-17 in the dominant 10-3 victory.
Gus Rabe was named first star with five assists, Riopel earned second star with two goals and an assist, while Brockville’s Drake Sled took third star honours with a goal and an assist.
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