Tigers even up with Royals after fifth straight win

January 20, 2016 · 0 Comments

By Jake Courtepatte

The Trenton Golden Hawks may be consistently ranked among the top teams in Canadian Junior Hockey, but that is of no concern to the Aurora Tigers.

Aurora went into the Trenton barn on Friday and put seven pucks into the opposing net, prompting a goalie change shortly into the third period after their third straight.

Leading the charge in the 7 – 4 victory was captain Daniel Mantenuto with two goals, as well as the new/old face of defenceman Noah Delmas.

A staple on the blue line for the Tigers for the past two seasons, the Niagara University-bound Delmas spent most of this season with the USHL’s Bloomington Thunder, putting up a goal and an assist in seventeen games.

Returning to Canadian junior hockey has done wonders to Delmas’ game, adding a goal and two assists in the win over Trenton to bring his total to five points through five games this season with the Tigers. He put up an impressive 42 points in a full season with the Tigers last year.

“We knew what we were getting [with Delmas],” said general manager and head coach Thomas Milne. “He’s been in this locker room before and we knew he was well liked. We’re happy to have him back.”

Aurora sent defenceman Alex Boudreau to the Whitby Fury to make room for Delmas on the roster.

In Lindsay for a late afternoon clash the next day with the Muskies, the Tigers kept rolling, with JD Falconer opening the scoring at the midway point of the first period.

After a scoreless second, forward Keegan Matthew had his first multi-goal game of his junior career when he notched back-to-back markers in the final minutes of the third. Josh Boyko stopped all twenty shots he faced in the 3 – 0 victory for his second shutout of the year, having backstopped the Tigers all of January while Alex Fotinos nurses an injury.

The shutout marks the fifth regulation win in a row for the Tigers, a sigh of relief following a two-month span of questionable hockey that saw them fall far behind their division rival Markham Royals.

With Markham having lost two of their last three, Aurora has drawn even at fifty points apiece, boasting a 22-12-0-6 record with just over a month left in the regular season schedule.

“We’re in good position,” said Milne. “We’re where we should be and hopefully we can keep it up.”

Next up for the Tigers is Thursday’s “Battle of York”, an annual cross-town clash with the rival Newmarket Hurricanes, with all proceeds benefiting Southlake Regional Cancer Centre.

Fans will be treated to six of the next seven games on home ice, where the Tigers have lost only three games in regulation all year.
For stats, schedules, and more information, visit www.auroratigers.pointstreaksites.com.