While the first round of the Battle of the Skyway Bridge went Deseronto’s way, the County Royals are taking stock in their most complete effort of the 2025-26 Northern Premier Hockey League season.

The visiting Highlands Division leading Bulldogs shaded the Royals at home Saturday night 5-4.

In front of a sizable crowd, the two clubs went back and forth. The contest was a highly entertaining game undecided until the final buzzer.

“The team prepared well and had a huge team effort up and down the lineup,” newly minted Royals coach Greg Vernor said. “I am pleased with the huge effort in my debut game and look forward to building on that effort moving into the second half of the season.”

To-and-Fro

The County’s Cody Clancy would have the ice breaker at the 13:12 mark of the first when he tipped a Cole St. Pierre point shot past Deseronto starter Aaron Young to a 1-0 lead.

But the locals had a disastrous one minute stretch partway through the first that they couldn’t fully recover from.

Deseronto blueliner Chad Duchesne’s point blast off a faceoff in the County lit the lamp at 8:02 to square the affair at 1-1.

Just 38 seconds later, it was former Wellington Dukes star Luc Brown firing home his 12^th goal of the campaign to bust the tie.

Then, off the ensuing faceoff, Deseronto scored again. Graham Lamers knifed a backhand home off a rebound at 7:13 to make it a 3-1 spread in favour of the visitors.

The Royals closed the gap in the second. Brayden Forestell jammed home a powerplay goal off a Justin Arnold rebound at 16:36 to get the locals to within goal.

Less than a minute later though, moments after County Royals netminder Nic McGrayne foiled Mr. Brown on a partial breakaway, former Kingston Frontenac Ryan Verbeek tapped home a loose puck to make it 4-2 in favour of Deseronto.

But the Royals came roaring back as captain Calvin Wojtaszak sprang Mr. Arnold for a breakaway. The Ameliasburgh native tucked home a forehand deke at with just over five minutes left in the second.

Coming Close

In the third, former Belleville Bull Jason Shaw set up Mr. Duchesne for the Kingston native’s second of the night to restore Deseronto’s two goal cushion.

But a late powerplay for the Royals allowed opportunity for Mr. Wojtaszak to pocket his team-leading 7^th of the season.

Mr. Young stood tall down the stretch and the County couldn’t summon an equalizer. Mr. McGrayne, who came on after Deseronto’s third goal, made 31 saves.

The Royals are at home in Wellington on Saturday when they host the Lindsay Barncats. Puck drop is 7:30 p.m.