Peterborough Petes Face the Hamilton Bulldogs In First-Round Playoff Matchup

After riding a four-game winning streak into the playoffs, the Peterborough Petes have drawn the top-seeded Hamilton Bulldogs in the first round with game one on Thursday at 7 p.m.

The Peterborough Petes drew first blood against the Hamilton Bulldogs in a 4-3 win on Oct. 28. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

Peterborough clinched the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference ending the season with 64 points. They got to the postseason after defeating the Niagara IceDogs 5-1 on their Pink in the Rink fundraiser night on April 9.

On the same night, The Bulldogs locked their top seed in the East as regular-season champions after a 6-0 shutout over the Ottawa 67’s.

The Petes will see a familiar face in Mason McTavish who the team traded to Hamilton ahead of the Ontario Hockey League deadline on Jan. 9 in exchange for forwards Alex Pharand, Jonathan Melee and six draft selections (Two second-round picks in 2022, two third-round picks in 2023, a third-round pick in 2024 and a conditional fourth-round pick in 2025).

Mason McTavish (middle) played five games with the Petes in the 2021-22 season before being traded to the Bulldogs. He spent time with the Anaheim Ducks of the NHL prior to playing for Peterborough. Photo courtesy of David Pickering and the Peterborough Petes.

The Petes defeated the Bulldogs 3-1 on March 15 on McTavish’s first game back in Peterborough after being traded. Hamilton got revenge with two straight wins over the Petes to round out their regular-season series.

The Petes are 2-6 against the Bulldogs in the regular season.

The following is the playoff schedule for the two teams:

• Thu, Apr. 21 Peterborough Petes vs. Hamilton Bulldogs 7:00 p.m. at the FirstOntario Centre

• Mon, Apr. 25 Peterborough Petes vs. Hamilton Bulldogs 7:00 p.m. at the FirstOntario Centre

• Wed, Apr. 27 Hamilton Bulldogs vs. Peterborough Petes 7:00 p.m. at the Peterborough Memorial Centre

• Thu, Apr. 28 Hamilton Bulldogs vs. Peterborough Petes 7:00 p.m. at the Peterborough Memorial Centre

• Sat, Apr. 30 Peterborough Petes vs Hamilton Bulldogs 7:00 p.m. at the FirstOntario Centre (if necessary)

• Mon, May 2 Hamilton Bulldogs vs. Peterborough Petes 7:00 p.m. at the Peterborough Memorial Centre (if necessary)

• Wed, May 4 Peterborough Petes vs Hamilton Bulldogs 7:00 p.m. at the FirstOntario Centre (if necessary)

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Electric City Football Club Signs Two New Players Midway Through Training Camp

Electric City Football Club (ECFC) has announced the signing of former Canadian U15 player Tomas Ribeiro and AD Alcorcon U23 player Daniel Oshana.

Photo courtesy of ECFC.

Ribeiro is a 20 year old defensive midfielder born in London, Ontario who has experience playing youth football in Portugal. Ribeiro played in the Vitoria Setubal academy before joining the Vancouver Whitecaps Residency program in 2017.

“Tomas is an exciting prospect who has the ability to dictate and control our intent when in possession and is another great character whose actions and behaviours will demonstrate the values of the club and the city,” ECFC Men’s Head Coach Jamie Sherwood said of his newest signing. “His game understanding is built on a strong technical appreciation of his space and time on the pitch along with his varying passing range and will be a constant threat to any opposing team.”

Through his performances he earned a callup to the Canadian youth national team program at age 15. He was later called up to play in the 2017 CONCACAF U-15 Championship by then head coach Paul Stalteri, who is now the assistant coach at Toronto FC. Ribeiro joins ECFC from FC London where he spent the 2021 season, he played 11 games scoring 2 goals.

Photo courtesy of ECFC.

Daniel Oshana, a London, On. native spent 3 seasons playing football in Madrid, Spain where he played for Alcobendas Sport U19 for a season before transferring to second division side AD Alcorcon U23 where he spent 2 seasons.

“Danny has shown a very mature understanding technically in the first two weeks of training camp and his technical execution will enable him to be a strong player within the game model and principles that we have as a club.” Coach Sherwood said, “He has fitted into the group brilliantly and we are excited to see how he will develop through the training camp and further into the season.”

After his time in Madrid, he returned home to London to spend the 2021 season with FC London. Oshana memorably scored 2 goals in the last 10 minutes away to Scrosoppi FC to help his side overturn a 3-1 deficit in dramatic fashion. Oshana has also represented Team Ontario in the 2017 Canada Games, winning a gold medal.

“It feels incredible to be a part of this new club, especially in the inaugural season. It’s a very exciting time and project for the city of Peterborough, and I am so thankful and honoured to be a part of it.” Oshana replied when asked about joining his new team, ““The fans can expect to see someone who will be fully dedicated both on the field and in the community. I’m glad it’s official and now it’s time to get to work.”

Photo courtesy of ECFC.

Season Tickets are now available at electriccityfc.com in preparation for the home openers on May 7 for the Men and May 14 for the women at Fleming College.

Single game tickets will be available to the public starting Tuesday.

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Fleming Athletics Honours Athletes In 49th Annual Fleming Athletic Varsity Banquet

Fleming College celebrated its student-athletes with an award ceremony at their 49th Annual Varsity Banquet held on Friday.

The following are the awards presented to the student-athletes: 

Cross Country

• MVP- Desmond Burman- Martin

• Rookie of the Year- Rajat Patel 

Women’s Volleyball

• MVP- Abby Calvank

• Rookie of the Year- Montana Rank 

Men’s Volleyball

• MVP- Benjamin Perreault

• Rookie of the Year- Sahil Bhardwaj 

Loggersports

• Female MVP- Amanda Dickinson

• Male MVP- Scott Gauer

• Female Rookie of the Year- Anna Westwood 

• Male Rookie of the Year- Ethan Johnston 

Men’s Basketball

• MVP- Romain MaCalla

• Rookie of the Year- Deondre Goodman- Ottey 

Women’s Rugby 7’s

• MVP- Hannah Rose Gilpin

• Rookie of the Year- Madison Falls 

Women’s Soccer

• MVP- Ainsley Taggett

• Rookie of the Year- Morgan Gullekson 

Men’s Soccer

• MVP- Logan Scott

• Rookie of the Year- Sahil Bhardwaj 

OCAA All Academic Awards were presented to student athletes that maintained a 3.6 GPA or higher during their season. The following are the OCAA All Academic winners: 

Megan Burnett, Lexie McKnight, Jessica Spagnolo, Ainsley Taggett, Aaron Molenhuis, Robyn Ellis, Hannah Rose Gilpin, Desmond Burman- Martin, Nate Stephen 

OCAA Honour Awards were presented based on student-athletes’s athletic performance, selected and voted on by other OCAA institutions. 

Romain McCalla

• OCAA Men’s Basketball League Scoring Champion

• OCAA Men’s Basketball East Division Scoring Champion

• OCAA East Division First Team All Star

Ben Perreault

• OCAA Men’s Volleyball East Division Scoring Champion

Hannah Rose Gilpin

• Women’s Rugby 7’s Championship All-Star

Karyn Blackney

• Women’s Cross Country First All- Ontario Team 

Holly Pennings  earned the Fleming Athletics All Academic Knight award. It is given to a first-year athlete with a 3.6 GPA or higher.

Robyn Ellis  received the Rachael Spearing Award for a women’s rugby player who demonstrated heart, spirit, sportsmanship, and dedication on the field.

The Kris Starr & Adam Evans Award went to loggersports athletes that showed heart, spirit, dedication and love of sport. This year’s awards were presented to: 

• Kris Starr Award- Desmond Burman- Martin

• Adam Evans Award- Scott McDonald 

All-Around Athlete awards are presented to male and female athletes who performed at a high level both on and off the field of play while demonstrating great leadership, commitment and dedication.

• Male All-Around Athlete of the Year- Scott Morris

• Female All-Around Athlete of the Year- Montana Rank 

Fleming Athletics Athlete of the Year awards goes to a male and female athlete who performed exceptional achievements within their sports while maintaining academic eligibility.

• Male Athlete of the Year- Romain McCalla

• Female Athlete of the Year- Karyn Blackney  

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Peterborough Ice Kats Skate Away With Two Gold and One Silver Medal

Peterborough’s U13 A and U15 AA Ice Kats became Provincial Champions, after coming out on top at the Ontario Women’s Hockey Association Provincial Tournament last weekend.

The U13 A Ice Kats finished successfully after a season filled with COVID breaks.Photo courtesy of PGHA.

The U13 A girls played in Etobicoke from Friday to Sunday and ended the tournament 6-1.

The weekend began with three back-to-back wins. They defeated the Barrie Sharks 3-1, the Brampton Canadettes 3-1 and the Toronto Leaside Wildcats 2-0.

Saturday began with a 5-1 loss against the Central York Panthers, but the team made a quick recovery and beat the Caledon Coyotes 1-0 in the afternoon.

Sunday morning started strong with a 2-1 win over the Stoney Creek Sabres, and the team wrapped up the weekend with a 2-0 victory over the London Devilettes.

“It’s been nice to see the girls get rewarded for all the dedication and the hours they put in this year,” said Head Coach Craig Hulsman when the team won the Southern League Championship. “Dealing with the COVID break over the new year, I think that convinced a lot of other people to give up but these girls really stayed with it. They’ve done a ton of work off the ice, with fitness and nutrition. It’s just nice to see it all pay off for them.”

The U13 A Peterborough Ice Kats had a successful season with a gold medal at the Whitby Tournament of Heroes, a gold medal at the OWHL Southern Championship and are Provincial champions.

The U15 Ice Kats allowed only one goal in the tournament in their championship win. Photo courtesy of PGHA.

The U15 AA Ice Kats went 5-0-1 en route to their sixth season championship. They went 2-0-1 in the round robin scoring 12 goals with zero goals against in Pool D to make the playoffs.

They shut out the Stratford Aces 4-0 in the quarterfinals and continued their defensive dominance with a 1-0 win over the Nepean Wildcats.

The U15 team capped their remarkable sixth tournament victory in six tournaments this season with a 2-1 championship win over their rivals the Durham West Lightning.

The U15 A Ice Kats earned silver losing 4-2 to the Stoney Creek Sabres in the final.

The Curve Lake Gen7 Fuel U13 AA Ice Kats missed on their medal chance, coming up short with a 2-0 loss in the bronze medal game to the No. 1-ranked North York Storm.

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Peterborough Petes Goalie Named OHL Goaltender of the Week

After ringing off three-straight wins, Peterborough Petes goaltender Michael Simpson has been named the OHL Goaltender of the Week announced on Monday.

Simpson was featured in a TSN Bardown video called, “How Good is a 60 Overall Goalie in Real Life?” that aired on Youtube on Nov. 17 last year. Photo courtesy of the Peterborough Petes.

Simpson had 1.32 goals-against average, .954 save percentage and one shutout in his last three games to win the honour.

He played a vital role in securing a playoff spot for the Petes in his 5-1 win with 20 saves over the Niagara IceDogs during Pink in the Rink night on Saturday. He also added a pair of victories over the Barrie Colts on Tuesday and Sunday. The Petes won 1-0 on the road and 8-3 at home against the Colts respectively.

A 19-year-old from London, Ont., Simpson owns a record of 19-18-3-1 with a 3.58 goals-against average and .891 save percentage over 44 games in his first OHL season. The 6-foot, 188Ib. netminder was Peterborough’s 10th round (193rd overall) pick in the 2019 OHL Priority Selection from the London Jr. Knights U16 program.

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Pink in the Rink Raises Over $75,000 In Cancer Fundraiser, Petes Clinch Playoff Spot In 5-1 Win

It was a special night for philanthropy and hockey for the Peterborough Petes’ 13th annual Pink in the Rink game.

The fundraiser collected a total of $76,952.18 for the Canadian Cancer Society as the Petes clinched the final playoff spot in a 5-1 win over the Niagara IceDogs Saturday night.

Over the past 13 years, the Petes have raised just shy of $900,000 through Pink in the Rink in support of the Canadian Cancer Society. The Petes own the top spot in the OHL and CHL with 18 shorthanded goals this season. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The game had 3,228 fans at the Peterborough Memorial Centre, a season-high record. The fundraiser’s original goal was $50,000.

The Petes never lost the lead in their 5-1 victory over the IceDogs. The home team had five different goal-scorers as defenceman Konnor Smith opened the scoring while forwards Quinton Pagé, Emmett Sproule, Tucker Robertson (short-handed) and J.R. Avon scored (short-handed).

Goaltender Michael Simpson made 20 saves and earned his 18th win of the season.

@ptbo_canada The @petesohlhockey raised money for cancer research for their “Pink in the Rink” fundraising campaign! They also clinched a playoff spot with a 5-1 win over the Niagara IceDogs! #ohl #pinkintherink #gopetesgo #cancerresearch #hockey #ptbo #ptbocanada ♬ Saturday - twenty one pilots

Players wore special Pink in the Rink fundraising sweaters —with the design revealed on March 15 — and were sold in a post-game live auction.

Tucker Robertson’s jersey sold for a record-setting $3,100. Other fundraising initiatives at the game included chuck-a-ball, silent auction, bucket donations, t-shirt sales and online fundraisers.

Petes alumnus and former captain Doug Gibson and Global News Peterborough sports anchor Meaghan Roy were this year’s co-chairs, raising a combined $13,425,28.

The game was played on a make-up date and was originally scheduled for Feb. 5. It was delayed due to temporary COVID-19 restrictions.

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Peterborough Lakers to Open Regular Season With Championship Banner Ceremony

The Peterborough Lakers are raising their 2019 Mann Cup banner in a ceremony at their home opener as the team released their schedule on Thursday.

The Century 21 Peterborough Lakers celebrating their 2019 Mann Cup championship. The Lakers are three-time defending Mann Cup champions. Photo courtesy of the Peterborough Lakers.

The home opener is on June 2 at 8 p.m. against the Cobourg Kodiaks.

The Lakers 17-game schedule contains eight away games and nine home games. The opening game is the team’s first game at the Memorial Centre since their 2019 home opener.

Home Games:

• Thu., June 2 – Cobourg Kodiaks

• Thu., June 9 – Owen Sound

• Sat., June 18 – Six Nations Chiefs

• Thu., June 23 – Oakville Rock

• Thu., June 30 – Six Nations Chiefs

• Thu., July 7 – Cobourg Kodiaks

• Thu., July 14 – Brooklin LC

• Thu., July 21 – Owen Sound

• Thu, July 28 – Brooklin LC

Away Games:

• Mon., June 6 – Oakville Rock

• Sun., June 12 – Cobourg Kodiaks

• Wed., June 15 – Brooklin LC

• Thu., June 16 – Owen Sound

• Frid., July 8 – Owen Sound

• Sun., July 17 – Cobourg Kodiaks

• Tue., July 19 – Six Nations Chiefs

• Wed., July 27 – Brooklin LC

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Peterboroughs U13 A Ice Kats Are OWHL Southern Champions And Are Now Competing For Provincial Champions

The U13 A Peterborough Ice Kats swept the competition last weekend and became the Ontario Women’s Hockey League (OWHL) Southern League Champions, after finishing the regular season with the highest win percentage of all teams in the league. They advance to Provincials this week.

From left: Chloe Wade, Lily Latchford, Carrie Clark (trainer), Claire Nottingham, Beatrice Jarbeau, Grace Gifford, Liv Clark, Matt Temple (coach), Grace Plunkett, Aislyn Bowen, Darryll Hancock (coach), MacKenna Hancock, Lizzie Temple, Addie Hulsman, Addie Moher, Sophie Wright, Indie Bennett, Piper Crump, Craig Hulsman (Coach). In front: Cece Beaulne and Emma Fisher. Photo courtesy of Peterborough U13 Ice Kats.

“It’s been nice to see the girls get rewarded for all the dedication and the hours they put in this year,” said Head Coach Craig Hulsman. “Dealing with the COVID break over the new year, I think that convinced a lot of other people to give up but these girls really stayed with it. They’ve done a ton of work off the ice, with fitness and nutrition. It’s just nice to see it all pay off for them.”

The team won the quarter-final playoff game against the Barrie Sharks 3-1 on March 26 at home. Scoring for the Ice Kats were Lizzie Temple, Grace Plunkett (2), Addie Moher. Assists by Moher, Liv Clark, MacKenna Hancock (2), Addie Hulsman, Cece Beaulne was in net.

On March 31, the Ice Kats hosted the semi-final game against the Oakville Hornets, with the 4-1 win going to Peterborough. Scoring for the Ice Kats were Moher, Hancock, Beatrice Jarbeau, Plunkett. Assists by Temple, Plunkett, Sophie Wright, Hancock and Piper Crump. Beaulne was in net.

The Championship game was played April 2 in Etobicoke. The U13 A Ice Kats took on the Lakeshore Lightning and won 1-0. Goal by Jarbeau, assisted by Lily Latchford. Beaulne had the shut out.

“We had to win three in a row to win the championship, so the girls put a lot of effort into making sure they were ready to play because if they weren’t, it could have ended pretty quick,” he said. “They did that three times in a row. They prepared really well and then performed really well and to do that three times in a row is difficult but they were able to rise to the challenge.”

The team is heading to Toronto on Thursday to compete for the OWHL Provincial Championship.

“We’ve got tough teams to play, we’re playing the best teams in the province so every game is a challenge but we’re really excited to see all the work they’ve put in pay off.”

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Electric City Football Club Sign Two Midfielders to Men's Team

The Electric City Football Club (ECFC) has signed former Ottawa Fury player Jack Collins and Fanshawe Falcon Rookie of the Year Tomas Alvarez to the team announced on Thursday.

Photo courtesy of Electric City Football Club.

“Both of these signings will typify the values and heritage of this city,” said Jamie Sherwood, ECFC men’s head coach. “They have come into training camp and have brought a high level of intensity and honest hard work.”

Collins is a 22-year-old Canadian midfielder originally from Essex, England who played within the Ottawa Fury organization for six years. He signed with Nipissing University following his Ottawa tenure and has been a constant presence with the Nipissing Lakers.

He won Rookie of the Year with the Lakers, was named Nipissing Men’s Soccer MVP and has been named an Ontario University Athletics (OUA) All-Star. In the 2021 OUA season, he had four goals and five assists in ten matches. Collins helped lead the Lakers to the OUA Playoffs in his Rookie season where they fell at the quarterfinals stage.

“After I heard about Electric City FC, I immediately knew I wanted to be a part of this developing project and help bring a top-level soccer to Peterborough,” said Collins. “The fans of Electric City FC can expect a lot out of me as a player as I am dedicated to both the sport and the club and I am passionate about bringing success to the team.”

The men’s team has also added midfielder Tomas Alvarez from London, Ont. The midfielder joins ECFC after a successful three-year stint with FC London.

Photo courtesy of Electric City Football Club.

Alvarez spent a year playing with Athletico Nacional in Columbia before he returned home to play for FC London from 2019 to 2021. He scored seven goals for FC London including two goals against Vaughan Azzurri in the semifinals of the 2019 League 1 season.

Alvarez also spent time with the Fanshawe Falcons in the OCAA where he won various awards such as Fanshawe Rookie of the year and multiple OCAA All-star awards. Alvarez has also won a silver and bronze OCAA Championship medal during his time with the Falcons.

“It was an easy decision becoming a part of this Club’s inaugural season,” said Alvarez. “Peterborough is such a welcoming town and so community-oriented. I can’t wait to wear the yellow and black.”

“I am excited to see how both of these players develop in our environment and within our culture, but their core values will be clear to see by the fans through their behaviours on the pitch,” said Sherwood.

May 7 and May 14 are the home opener dates for the men's and women’s games respectively at Fleming College.

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U14 Fitzsimmons Garage AAA Petes Capture OHMA Title With Walk-Off Goal

It was a clean sweep for the undefeated U14 Fitzsimmons Garage AAA Petes as they won the Ontario Minor Hockey Association (OMHA) Championships at the Sixteen Mile Sports Complex in Oakville over the weekend.

The U14 Fitzsimmons Garage AAA Petes scored 25 goals and allowed nine during their five-game winning streak at the OMHA Championships. Photo courtesy of the Peterborough Minor Petes.

The Petes defeated the York-Simcoe Express in the championship game in overtime 3-2. The team got their walk-off championship goal 8:16 into the extra period to seal their undefeated weekend.

The team won all three games on Friday and Saturday to qualify for the playoffs — the top four teams qualified — of the three-day event. They won their next two playoff games to win the championship.

Four of nine teams from the Peterborough Minor Hockey Council represented at two OMHA Championship weekends for AAA.

The U15 Ben Smith Sells AAA Petes secured a spot in the semi-finals with a round-robin record of 1-1-1. They fell in the semi-finals 3-2 to the Central Ontario Wolves.

The U12 Jesse's Tap & Grill AAA Petes finished the round-robin with a 2-1 record, advancing to the semi-finals on Sunday. They lost 2-1 to Niagara North Stars in the playoff round.

The U11 Peak Benefits AAA Petes played in the OMHA Championship weekend on March 25-27 but did not make the playoffs.

The U9 Hockey Hotel AAA Petes played in their championship weekend March 11 - 13 in Belleville and earned a silver medal.

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