Tuesday, Sept. 17th - Morrisurg’s Junior Lions dropped a pair of pre-season games over the weekend while entertaining a home and home preseason event with the North Dundas Rockets. On Saturday afternoon at Morrisurg the Lions played host to their neighbours to the north with each icing a roster of numerous tryouts seeking to wear a team sweater for the coming regular season.
Fans were treated to 69 minutes of goaltenders, Matt Saari and Owen Villeneuve (Rockets), Nick Lyons and Bailee Bois (Morrisburg) battling to keep their opponents off the score board. Neither allowed a goal through the opening 30-minutes.
Following a second 30-minute run of scoreless action the officials called for a 10-minute overtime period that was 90-seconds short of over when the Rockets Parker Lefebrve beat the Lions Bailee Bois on a semi-screened shot over the net minder’s out-stretched glove for the 1-0 victory.
Hosting the Lions at Winchester on Sunday afternoon the Rockets grabbed a 1-0 lead in the opening period and outscored the Lions 3-1 in the final frame for the 4-1 win. The double victory gives the pre-season title between the two to the Rockets for 2024.
“Starving for a team practice the guys (both team) played a pretty sloppy style of hockey,” pointed out Lion’s Coach Jamie Smith, “We appear to have a good penalty-kill developing and with a bit of time our power-play will start to click.”
“At this time of year nothing is set in stone and we have a lot of tough decisions to make over the next few weeks,” Smith said, adding, “We’ll be looking forward to our home opener on Saturday night at Morrisburg. Should be an eye-opener for everyone.”
Also with the Lions, On Monday afternoon Lion’s GM Kevin Casselman announced the Toronto Rock National Lacrosse League team has drafted Lion’s talented winger Landon Sinfield for the 2024 season. Sinfield, who has played for the Lions for the past few years, was described by Morrisburg GM Kevin Casselman as “an absolutely great young man!”
A press release issued by the Toronto Rock announced in part, “With the fourth round, 47th overall pick, the Rock selected left-handed shooting forward Landen Sinfield from the Akwesasne Thunder of the OJBLL. Sinfield scored a ton in Junior B this summer. He was one of only three players to top the 50-goal mark, striking for 51 goals in 20 regular season contests. He also got into some OJLL action with the Six Nations Arrows this summer.”
“Landon has to attend meetings in Toronto this week,” Lion’s GM Casselman said, “We’ll know more about his availability after that.”
The Lions will host the Almonte Inferno on Saturday, Sept. 21st at Morrisburg Arena in the NCJHL regular season opener with a puck drop scheduled for 7:15 p.m. The Inferno played against the Vankleek Hill Cougars on Sunday, Sept.15th in preseason action managing a 5-5 draw.