The McLean & Dickey Orillia Terriers started a new season of Jr. C hockey last weekend with two low-scoring games.
The Terriers opened the season on the road in Alliston last Friday with a 2-0 loss to the Hornets. Captain Dylan Palomaki felt his team played better than what the result portrayed.
"It was a great start to the season," he said. "I thought we did all the right things, but we just didn't get any bounces."
The Terriers had a goal called back in the contest in which they out-shot their opponents 36-31.
Last Saturday, the Terriers skated to a 3-2 win in their home opener against the Penetang Kings. While Palomaki is happy his team secured the two points, he says they should have played better.
"I didn't feel like we gave it a solid effort as a team," he said. "We definitely could have played a lot better."
Palomaki says the Terriers have a similar makeup to last year’s team.
"We are pretty similar," he said. "We've added the right aspects to the right places. All around I think we are a pretty solid group."
The biggest off-season additions to the Terriers were goaltenders Jude Rondina and Brody Pritchard who have only given up four goals in two games.
"Our goalies have been stellar in the pipes," he said. "It's a huge advantage having them back there."
The Terriers head to Innisfil tonight to take on the Spartans in a rematch from last season’s Provincial Junior Hockey League round one playoff matchup.
"We are taking things one game at a time right now," Palomaki said. "We are going to work as a team tonight and look to come out of there with the two points."
Palomaki says it's important for the Terriers to be playing well at the beginning of the season.
"In March if you are down a couple of points you look back at the games that you lost that you should have won earlier in the season," he said.
The Terriers return home on Saturday, Sept. 30 to take on one of their rivals, the Caledon Golden Hawks. Puck drop is 7:30 p.m.
"It's a pretty small league," Palomaki said. "It definitely makes a lot of rivalry games for sure."
