Centennial Cup Media Recap – May 14
The CCHL champions are making their fourth straight look at Canada’s National Junior A Championship after coming from behind to seize one other Bogart Cup
For the fourth time in as many National Junior A Championships, the
Ottawa Jr. Senators will problem for the Centennial Cup. From constructing
on their tradition of success to a rollercoaster victory within the Central
Canada Hockey League (CCHL) last, the Jr. Senators are utilizing their
experiences as a group to set themselves up for an additional shot at successful a
first nationwide title.
“Any time we’ve got season the place we come off a championship, there are a
lot of classes discovered,” head coach Kyle Makaric says. “The journey
alongside the way in which, the ins-and-outs of being a hockey group, it’s all about
the smaller particulars, and benefiting from the layers of classes that
helped us get right here.”
Leaning on the leaders of the group – seven gamers are again from final
season (Vincent Velocci, Xavier Guillemette, James Taylor, Braxton Ross,
Massimo Gentile, Sam Grabner, and Wil Murphy) – the Jr. Senators have
been capable of move down their successful methods yr after yr.
“For the fellows that stay with us from the final yr, they do such a
nice job of linking the previous season and previous success to the brand new group
and future success,” Makaric says. “It’s not one thing put down by the
coaches or the final managers, the gamers present the trail of how issues
are achieved right here, the earlier captains are at all times obtainable to assist out
our present captains, and we’re very lucky to have gamers
persevering with to wish to give again to the group.”
Ottawa was the category of the CCHL as soon as once more within the common season,
posting a league-best 42-8-5 file and ending top-two in targets
scored (2nd), targets allowed (1st), energy play (1st) and penalty kill
(2nd).
And they did it and not using a top-10scorer (Velocci was eleventh with 59
factors). In all, six gamers hit the 40-point mark, three had at the least
50 and 11 recorded double-digits in targets.
But the again finish was the place the Jr. Senators excelled. Rorke Applebee
(2.07, .934) and Connor Shibley (2.16, .926) completed one-two in
goals-against common and save share, and helped Ottawa to the
lowest goals-against complete (126) since 2017-18.
With a successfulregular season and playoffs, capped off by erasing a
2-0 collection deficit towards the Smith Falls Bears within the Bogart Cup
last, the Jr. Senators are feeling ready heading into Portage la
Prairie.
“In that collection, we simply caught to the idea that if there may be time on
the clock, we’ve got a possibility to win,” Makaric says. “In a
event just like the Centennial Cup, you could lose the primary recreation, however
we’ll be nonetheless capable of finding a approach to achieve success. Our guys know as
lengthy as there’s time, it offers us a possibility to compete, and we like
our probabilities.”
HOW THEY GOT TO PORTAGE
Central Canada Hockey League
Quarterfinal: defeated Cornwall 4-1 (3-0, 5-2, 3-4 OT, 5-0, 5-2)
Semifinal: defeated Brockville 4-1 (4-0, 0-3, 3-1, 4-3 OT, 3-2)
CCHL championship: defeated Smiths Falls 4-3 (2-5, 0-1 OT, 7-1, 7-4, 3-2 OT,
6-2)
REGULAR SEASON
Record (W-L-OTL-SOL): 42-8-3-2 (1st in CCHL)
Goals for: 218 (2nd in CCHL)
Goals towards: 126 (1st in CCHL)
Power play: 56 of 221 (25.3% – 1st in CCHL)
Penalty killing: 207 of 238 (87.5% – 2nd in CCHL)
Longest successful streak: 13 (Nov. 9-Dec. 17)
Top 3 scorers:
• Vincent Velocci – 16G 43A 59P (eleventh in CCHL)
• Massimo Gentile – 30G 26A 56P (thirteenth in CCHL)
• Anton Sorensen – 18G 36A 54P (fifteenth in CCHL)
PLAYOFFS
Record: 12-5
Goals for: 63
Goals towards: 35
Power play: 13 for 70 (18.6%)
Penalty killing: 54 of 63 (87.5%)
Top 3 scorers:
• Chase Lammi – 10G 14A 24P
• Mickeal Hebert – 5G 17A 22P
• Massimo Gentile – 11G 8A 19P
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY
2002 – Ottawa Jr. Senators | fourth place | 1-4 | 18GF 23GA
2018 – Ottawa Jr. Senators | fourth place | 2-3 | 14GF 15GA
2019 – Ottawa Jr. Senators | fourth place | 1-4 | 11GF 17GA
2022 – Ottawa Jr. Senators | seventh place | 1-4 | 10GF 9GA
COMMITMENTS
Anton Sorensen – Adrian College (2023-24)
Vincent Velocci – Amherst College (2023-24)
CJHL TOP 20 RANKINGS
Sept. 26 – Not ranked
Oct. 9 – sixteenth
Oct. 16 – twelfth
Oct. 24 – 18th
Oct. 31 – sixteenth
Nov. 7 – 18th
Nov. 14 – seventeenth
Nov. 21 – sixteenth
Nov. 28 – tenth
Dec. 5 – eighth
Dec. 12 – eighth
Dec. 19 – eighth
Jan. 9 – ninth
Jan. 16 – sixth
Jan. 23 – sixth
Jan. 30 – eighth
Feb. 6 – sixth
Feb. 13 – eleventh
Feb. 20 – eighth
Feb. 27 – ninth
March 6 – seventh
