BY SCOTT
HADDOW
Despite winning the NOJHL Championship last season and losing
plenty of players, the Kal Tire Sudbury Junior Wolves are
hungry as ever to taste more success.
The Junior Wolves will take the hunt on the road this week, as
they travel to Iroquois Falls to take on the Abitibi Eskimos.
Game time is 7:30 pm.
Sudbury sits in first place in the standings with a record of
9-3-0-1, good for 19 points. Abitibi holds down fifth place,
with a record of 4-7-0-3, good for 11 points.
After piling up 42 goals against in their first 11 games, head
coach Tom Faganely challenged his squad to stop the
haemorrhaging.
In their next two games, against North Bay and Manitoulin last
week, Sudbury won both and only allowed five goals against.
"They're playing better defence in our own zone," said the
bench boss. "They're putting a lot more effort in the defensive
zone coverage...and there's no doubt that will win us more
games. They realize the more chances you give the other
team...the more goals they will score."
Faganely wants a complete effort from his troops on
Thursday.
"We need a full game...they have to play hard for 60 minutes,"
said the coach. "Against Manitoulin, we built up a 4-0 lead and
played a good first period. Then we coasted and they almost
came back on us. We will need a full effort...Abitibi is coming
off a big win over Blind River and they're starting to come
around. They get some 700 fans at home...so it's like an extra
player for them. They will be tough to beat at home."
Faganely is also looking for the team to keep up some good
habits they've developed early on.
"We've been cutting back on the penalties...I want it to
continue," said Faganely. "They're playing better defence and
we need more success on our power play, which is one of our
strong points. The last couple of wins, we used the bench
more...rolling the lines and that will also continue."
The club showed plenty of character by winning games despite
not having top-scoring forward Scott Restoule for the last four
games. (He was suspended for a butt-ending incident.)
"We've lost him before and won," said Faganely. "It has shown
us other guys can pick it up and score when we need them to. We
missed him on the power play and we're glad he's back."
As one Scott comes back, another Scott is out.
Defenceman and leading scorer Scott Lavigne will miss the
Abitibi game serving the second game of a two-game suspension.
Lavigne was banished for knocking an opposing player's helmet
down the ice last week against North Bay after a scrum.
Sudbury is still missing forwards Matt Bertrand and Ryan Mathes
who are nursing shoulder injuries.
On the defence, veteran Justin Jodouin and rookie Jacob
Johnston have been impact players. Jodouin leads with his
spirited play, while Johnston contributes with great plays.
"They've been great," said Faganely. "Jacob has picked up his
game and helps on the power play...he's a really smart player.
Justin gives us plenty of toughness and leads by example by
giving 100 percent."
Junior Wolves stats pack - goalie
Darren Rowlandson
Record, goals against average and save percentage: 6-2, 3.21,
.909
Note: Rowlandson has made 279 saves, second in the NOJHL
behind Manitoulin's Billy Stone, who has 436.
