The McLean & Dickey Orillia Terriers remain undefeated on the young Provincial Junior Hockey League season after downing the winless Huntsville Otters 3-0 on Saturday night.
The Terriers were wearing their red Couchiching Terriers Jr. A throwback uniforms in front of a crowd of about 225 fans at Rotary Place.
The Terriers got on the scoresheet 11 minutes into the second period after the Otters got into penalty trouble. Josh Brown capitalized on a five-on-three opportunity when he buried home a pass from Mason Beck.
Austin Holenski notched the team's second marker with two minutes left in the second period. Noah Sands and Brown were credited with the assists.
The final dagger came with 90 seconds left in the game when veteran defenceman Isaiah Philip went bar down after receiving a feed from Owen Vandusen and Kaiden Robitaille.
Philip, a first-year Terrier, says there is something special happening with this team.
“This is definitely one of the better teams I’ve been a part of. We have a great coaching staff and a great group of players,” he said.
“I know it’s a younger team, but we have what it takes to win, these guys bring their 'A' game every time. Compared to other teams I’ve played for; this team plays with a lot more heart and a better work ethic," said Philip.
Goaltender Reed Spinola steered aside 28 shots to record his first shutout of the season.
“It feels really good, the boys played great in front of me,” Spinola said.
Spinola says the Terriers' 6-0 start to the season has come as the result of lots of hard work.
“The guys have been working their butts off in practice, so 6-0 feels good, and we have to continue to work hard every night we come to the rink to keep this streak going,” he said.
Now in his third year with the team, Spinola says this version of the Jr. C Terriers might be the best yet.
“This is the youngest team we’ve had since I’ve been here, but the work ethic is still there and the skill is definitely there,” he said.
Head coach Dalyn Telford says goaltending has been a huge factor in the team’s early success.
“We have the best goaltending tandem in the league with Reed (Spinola) and Wade (Monague),” he said.
“With a young group in front of them we are going to make mistakes, and rather than fear those mistakes when we make them, we know our goalies will be there to bail us out. We would not be 6-0 without our goalies.”
The Terriers were without three key players on Saturday night: forward and captain Broderick Black in addition to defencemen Caleb Sands and Lucas Wessinger.
Telford says he was impressed with how his team handled the Otters while being short-handed.
“When you are inside our locker room, you see how tight of a group they are, how hard they work in practice, and of our six wins, five of these games have been close games. They’ve learned how to win these close games,” he said.
Telford expects Black and Wessinger to be back in the line-up for their next game against Schomberg which is next Saturday, 8 p.m. at Rotary Place.
