The Wellington Dukes closed off the calendar year on a high note, taking care of the visiting Markham Waxers Tues. Dec. 20 by a 5-1 score.

Coming off an emotional 2-1 win in overtime in Trenton two nights prior and with a two week break staring them in the face following the rare Tuesday night affair at Lehigh Arena, Wellington did well to not take the opposition lightly heading into the holidays.

The Dukes started off the game hot and David Campbell had the ice breaker 1:50 into the contest thanks to helpers from the OJHL’s top scoring defenceman Julien Jacob and Wellington starter Ethan Morrow.

For Morrow, his lone blemish in his first start since returning from a strong outing at the 2022 World Jr. A Championships in Cornwall came at the 16:16 mark of the first as McKay Hayes would find the twine in the Wellington net to knot the game up at 1-1.

But that was all from the Waxers and Wellington would score a pair of unanswered goals in each of the subsequent periods.

Wellington goaltender Ethan Morrow. (Jason Parks/Gazette Staff)

Corbin Roach’s shorthanded effort at the 14:24 mark of the second would stand as the game winner and had the Dukes skating downhill for the rest of the game.

Before the close of the second, Kingston native Barrett Joynt would pot his 15th of the campaign in just his 21st contest of the season to make it 3-1.

In the third, Joynt continued his strong play, converting a Jacob Dietz pass at 8:20 for his 16th of the season.

Finally, blue liner Jack Henry Lages out of the hockey hotbed of McLean, Virginia potted his first OJHL goal at the 11:11 mark to make the final 5-1 in favour of Wellington.

With the win, the Dukes moved to 24-8-3, good enough for 51 points and third place in the Southeast Conference.

The locals trail second place Haliburton by four points and are two clear of the fourth place Cougars although Cobourg has two games in hand on Wellington.

The Dukes host the Toronto Patriots on Friday night as they return to action at Lehigh Arena ice.

Ledes at Lehigh: Over the holidays, the OJHL announced rosters for its Prospects and All Star events slated to take place Jan. 13 and 14 in Collingwood. Defenceman Graeme MacAuley and forwards Jared Langdon and Will Mitchell earned prospect game nods while Morrow, Jacob, Campbell and Edward Moskowitz will play for the Southeast Conference Selects.