It took a half dozen games into the 2023-24 Ontario Junior Hockey League Schedule but the Wellington Dukes finally tasted defeat in regulation time Wednesday.

The Dukes  (3-1-2, 8 points), visiting the Queen City of Buffalo, NY for the first time since the COVID pandemic put the Jr. Sabres organization on the shelf, fell to the hosts 7-3 Wednesday night.

Wellington likely had an idea what kind of night they were in for early in the first as Haeden Ellis beat Dukes starter Jack Lisson 13 seconds into the game to build a 1-0 lead. The teams would trade goals in the opening stanza with Zander Latreillle and Connor Hunt potting power play tallies but the Baby Sabres led 3-2 after 20. Four straight goals of the sticks of Buffalo shooters over the next 39 minute put the game out of reach. Cory Jewitt would tack on a goal for Wellington with under 30 seconds to play. The Clinton, ON native leads Wellington with five goals through six games.

(Left) Connor Hunt had a goal and an assist in a losing effort in Buffalo, NY Wednesday night. (Jason Parks/Gazette Staff)

On Monday in Cobourg, the Dukes kept ahead of the Cougars for most of the game but a last minute goal in regulation and then a goal early in the 3-on-3 session of overtime squandered a good start for the visitors.

The teams were tied 2-2 after 20 minutes thanks in part to a pair of goals from Dukes forward and Courtenay, BC native Austin Montgomery-Parsons.

In the second, Wellington would build a lead thanks to a pair of power play tallies from Mr. Jewitt and Connor Loerzel.

But the Cats came back in the third. Trevor Hoskin’s shorthanded tally early in the period made the score 4-3.  Mr. Hunt would then score on the early man advantage to briefly restore the two goal spread but the Dukes were lackadaisical off the ensuing draw and Cobourg’s Jordan Fuller would score his first of two in the frame just 11 seconds after the Wellington tally.

In overtime, Mr. Hoskin would skate to the Wellington goal line without much pressure and beat Mr. Lisson to the blocker side to give the Cougars the extra point.

A day earlier in Wellington, the Dukes got by the visiting Lindsay Muskies 2-1.

The Dukes were able to build a 2-0 lead through two periods with Mr. Montgomery-Parsons and Mr. Lorezel scoring in the first and second frames, respectively.

Mr. Lisson was sold in the Wellington mesh mansion, with only a Brody Simpson power play goal midway through the third period serving as a lone blemish on a 28 save outing.

On Friday and for the second straight home game, the Wellington Dukes gave the leather-lunged faithful at Lehigh Arena the opportunity to enjoy some overtime hockey.

But unlike a week prior, the local Jr. A squad made sure they sent the hometown fans into the darkness of a cool September night with smiles on their faces and a spring in their step.

With the game tied 5-5 and the Patriots and the hosts playing with three skaters aside, Mr. Latreille would spring sniper Nick DiPaolo on a one-on-one rush across the Toronto blueline at the start of the second overtime period. Dangling the puck through the defender, Mr. DiPaolo was able to gain time and space just above the hash marks to draw Pats netminder Evan Maillet to the far post and the fire the puck back to the short side and into the Toronto net to win the contest and cap off a hat trick effort for the Burlington-born goal scorer.

While Wellington would skate off the winners Friday, the game was very much in doubt as the Pats built and maintained three goal leads through the first and second intermissions.

Down 3-0 after 20, Mr. Latreille would deposit a wrap-around effort to get Wellington on the board at the 6:23 mark of the second. But the Dukes wouldn’t have much time to celebrate the goal. Just 23 seconds later, Wellington goalie Nolan Lane would stop Carson Eagles on a partial breakaway but allow Marco Saroglou to score on a rebound, restoring a three-goal margin.

At 12:15, Mr. Eagles fired a screened shot from the blueline to make it 5-1 for the Pats but Mr. DiPaolo cued the comeback with his first of the night from the high slot just over 90 seconds later.

In the third, Wellington would bust through in the final six minutes. Liam Lucas tallied at the 15:51 mark and then, with Mr. Lane on bench for an extra attacker on an early goalie pull by coach Kent Lewis, Mr.  Jewitt snapped home his third of the year to bring the hosts to within a goal at 16:22.

As precursor of what was to come in overtime, Mr. Latreille would feed Mr. DiPaolo a nifty backhand pass in the slot that the goal scorer would rifle past the Pats goalie with 2:51 left in regulation.

Wellington hosts Caledon on Friday evening and then shuffle on back to Buffalo nest week for the 2023 OJHL Governor’s Showcase. Dukes fans can thank the OJHL schedule maker for stiffing them as the Dukes will take on the Toronto Jr. Canadiens and the Trenton Golden Hawks in neutral site games. At the very least, the first Wellington-Trenton match up will count as a Golden Hawks home game.