The Eastern Conference of the ETA continues to see a battle
from week to week, in a race for First Place between Whitby and Quinte. The Foley Bus Liners continue to hold on,
despite a tough loss to Whitby and two wins against York Simco and
Clarington. The Red Devils now have a 7
pt lead with only five games remaining in the regular season.
On Wednesday Jan 20, the Minor Peewee Red Devils hosted the division rival Whitby Wildcats at the Yardman Arena. The Devils had some difficulty coming out of the gates and found themselves on their heels as Whitby scored 3 quick goals in the first period. The Devils began to regain composure and battle back in the second period with three goals of their own, as Trevor Hoskin scored twice and Corbin Roach added another. Assisting on the goals were; Liam Filip, Kendrick Webster, Donovan McCoy, Corbin Roach and Trevor Hoskin. Whitby added another goal to pull ahead by one as the second period ended. Despite great pressure in the third period by the Devils, they could not bury the puck in the Wild Cat net as Whitby held on for the 4 to 3 win. Corbin Votary and Andrew Munro shared the duties in the Devils goal.
On Saturday Jan 23, the Foley Bus Lines Minor Peewees hosted the York Simcoe Express at the Yardman Arena. The home game was also marked as the annual Sponsor Appreciation Day with several team sponsors and supporters in the crowd. A ceremonial puck drop and the playing of Oh Canada started the evenings activities. The Red Devils managed to score first as Aaron Brown lit the lamp in the first period on a feed from Corbin Roach. The rest of the game saw a defensive battle between the two teams as it remained scoreless. The Bus Liners held on for the 1 to 0 victory. Picking up the much deserved shutout was Andrew Munro in the Devils goal. Following the game, families of the players, sponsors and supporters gathered at the Quinte Sports and Wellness Centre to meet the players and coaches. Food and speeches were part of the festivities, along with the unveiling of the Foley Bus Lines Championship Banner which recognizes the OMHA and OHF accomplishments of the team from the 2014-2015 season. The banner will be erected to the rafters at the QSWC in the near future.
On Sunday Jan 24, the Red Devils travelled to Clarington to take on the Toros. Hungry for much needed points to hang on to a playoff spot, the Toros provided a fast paced game to the final buzzer. The Devils scored first as Donovan McCoy netted the only goal of the first period with helpers going to Phoenix Smith and Owen Gibson. The Toros would tie the game early in the 2nd period with a goal of their own. Phoenix Smith and Owen Gibson found the back of the Toro's net before the end of the second period to make it a 3 to 1 game going into the 3rd frame. The Toros scored the only goal in the 3rd period to pull within one and added pressure late in the game, but the Devils held on to take the win. Corbin Votary made key saves in the Devils cage to ward off the late effort by the Toros.
Next action for the Foley Bus Lines Minor Peewees is Wednesday Jan 27, as they host the Kingston Jr. Frontinacs at the Yardman Arena. Puck drop is scheduled for 6:30pm.