As one might have expected, the “forever rivals’ of the Ontario Junior Hockey League are all square through two games of the 2023 Southeastern Conference championship.

The Wellington Dukes and the Trenton Golden Hawks flipped the script somewhat over Games 1 and 2 of their seven game set that will determine which side plays for the 2023 Buckland Cup but the split was hard earned nonetheless.

On Wednesday in Game 1 in Wellington, the Golden Hawks were able to pull away from the hosts midway through the third period en route to a 3-1 win to steal home ice advantage from the Dukes.

But on Saturday night at the Dunc Macdonald Memorial Gardens, Wellington was able to pull away from the Golden Hawks in the third to gain momentum heading into Game 3 slated for Lehigh Arena on Monday night.

In front of over 1,000 fans in Wellington for Game 1, the Dukes and Golden Hawks played to a scoreless draw through 40 minutes of play with neither team looking quite comfortable and both Trenton’s Ben Bonisteel and Wellington’s Jacob Osborne having to come up with some dynamite stops to keep the game deadlocked at 0-0.

Finally, both teams blinked in the opening two minutes of the third period.

Former Alliston Hornet Duncan Grube charged to the crease and Jaden Raad’s cross ice pass from the corner was tapped into the Wellington net at 1:29 of the third.

But the Dukes didn’t wait long to answer.

Wellington’s Matheson Mason, seen here trying to find a rebound from Trenton netminder Ben Bonisteel, has three points in the first two games of the 2023 Southeastern Confrence finals. (Jason Parks/Gazette Staff)

Off the ensuing face off, Wellington’s Matheson Mason managed to break into the Trenton zone on a two-on-one rush. The Newmarket native would test Bonisteel’s glove and the Golden Hawk goalie made the initial save but an unchecked Lucas Lapalm was on the door step to tuck home Wellington’s first of the series at 1:40.

If there was a deciding factor in Game 1 that Wellington would rue, it was the team’s inability to score on five straight Trenton minor penalties including a one minute 5-on-3 sequence in the first period.

The Golden Hawks finally got a power play of their own midway through the third period and made the hosts pay.

At the 8:06 mark, Adam O’Marra was able to skate along the half wall and fire through a maze of legs and clank a volley off the post and into the Wellington net for Trenton’s first lead of the game.

The Dukes would press over the remaining 11 minutes but never really had a grade A opportunity to test Bonisteel. 

With nine seconds left in the contest, Zev Podolski would fire the puck home into a yawning Wellington net to make the final 3-1.

If Wellington’s inability to score on the power play helped decide Game 1, their success and Trenton’s lack of it with the man advantage helped figure out Game 2.

With a sold out crowd of 1,200 and more looking on in Trenton, the Dukes got to work on the power play when Dillon Stiles was whistled for hooking at 7:55.

Mason would collect a Jacob Vreugdenhil shot off the post and put a back hand past Bonisteel from the slot area at 9:34.

In the second, the Dukes were able to double their lead early when Jack-Henry Lages’ drop pass found the stick of Luke Strickland. The Keswick native would fire a bullet past Bonisteel at 5:07 to make it 2-0 Wellington.

The Golden Hawks had a quick response and it was Podolski handcuffing Osborne to the blocker side at 6:46 to dice the Wellington lead in half at 2-1.

The goals were coming in bunches in the second and the trend remained constant in the third.

Edward Moskowitz, one of Wellington’s best pick ups of the season, was able to curl off the half wall with half a step on a Trenton defender at 5:05 of the third and snap a shot towards Bonisteel. 

The puck would tick off the skate of Road who went down to block and went into the top left corner for a 3-1 lead in favour of the visitors.

Luck would favour the Dukes again just 16 seconds later at Moskowitz would jam home a back handed wrap around attempt to quell any notion the Golden Hawks might have at a comeback attempt.

Trenton was 0 for 3 on the power play while Wellington was 1-for-3.

Ethan Fraser, who has connections to the County through his father, would mop up in the Trenton net.

The Dukes would wind up outshooting the Hawks 33-29 in Game 2. The teams were even at 32 shots a piece in Game 1.

After Monday’s home game, the teams are back at it for Game 4 on Wednesday in Trenton.

The series is back in Wellington for Game 5 on Friday.