Ripley Wolves

It may just be the biggest regular season win in the 10 years since the Ripley Wolves returned to the WOAA Sr. A league.

The Wolves downed the two-time defending champion Saugeen Shores Winterhawks by a 4-2 score on Saturday night at the Ripley arena, moving the Wolves to a 4-0 record and first place in the North Division. The Winterhawks lost for the second time this weekend, after losing only once all of last season and sweeping through the playoffs on their way to the championship.

Kurt Edwards was stellar in the Wolves net, facing 45 shots on his way to his third win of the season. Combined with Senior A rookie Tom Church, the Wolves appear to be as strong as they’ve been between the pipes in years.

Wolves goals were scored by Ryan Armstrong, Brian Stanley on the powerplay, Travis VanGaver and Nick Locking into the empty net to seal the victory. Assists went to Derek Regier, Paul Stewart, Curt Robinson and Locking.

The Wolves also welcomed former Walkerton Hawks captain Andy Cline, a Teeswater native, to their roster on the weekend, which adds another offensive weapon to an already formidable front end.

The Wolves now have a week off to enjoy this victory and will look to build off it when they travel to Shelburne on Nov. 2, in a rematch of last year’s wildly entertaining six-game playoff series, which Shelburne won. The Wolves return home on Saturday, Nov. 3, at 7:30 p.m., against Elora for Minor Hockey Night, where young fans get in free if they wear their team’s jersey.

The game will be sponsored by the Ripley Legion.

Watch http://www.ripleywolves.com, ‘friend’ us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter @RipleyWolves for all the latest news on your local team.

The Ripley Wolves are off to a great start this season with three straight wins, and Saturday night is a chance for local kids to meet their undefeated heroes!

On Saturday, Oct. 20, the Wolves host last year’s champions from Saugeen Shores at 7:30 p.m. Between the first and second periods young fans will get a chance to meet the players and get autographs.

Saturday night’s game is sponsored by Kincardine Home Hardware. Our thanks to West Shore Stone and Brick for sponsoring the home opener on Oct. 12.

The Ripley Wolves improved to 3-0 on the season with a 3-1 win in Lucknow on Saturday night.

Wolves goalie Tom Church had a stellar debut in the win, holding the Lancers to a single marker, which came with 10 minutes left in the third period, after 2 1/2 periods of no scoring.

Once Lucknow took the lead, the Wolves broke out of their slumber and got goals from Travis VanGaver and Nathan Gavey to take the lead. Jeremy McQuillin sealed the win with an empty netter.

The Wolves return home on Saturday night, at 7:30 p.m., to host the defending champion Saugeen Shores Winterhawks.

Follow us on Twitter @RipleyWolves, and check ripleywolves.com for updates all season.

Special teams played a huge role in the Wolves’ 4-3, come-from-behind, overtime win against the Shallow Lake Crushers on Friday night. The game was sponsored by Kincardine Home Hardware.

Captain Jeremy McQuillin tucked a snap shot under the crossbar for the overtime winner on the powerplay to give the Wolves their second win to start the WOAA Sr. A season, after a third period charge that saw the home team tie the game twice to force overtime.

The Wolves carried the play in the first period but it remained scoreless thanks to some outstanding goaltending in the Crushers end, while Kurt Edwards answered the bell in Ripley’s net when called upon. The pace picked up in the second as the parade of Wolves to the penalty box began. Although none of the penalties could be considered dirty, the Wolves couldn’t stay in the good books of the referee and gave up two shorthanded goals.

Nick Locking got the Wolves within one with a marker late in the second from Kyle Gallant and McQuillin, setting up a wild third period. The ‘Cub Line’ knotted the score at two when rookie Paul Stewart found the twine through a maze of legs, with assists going to fellow rookie Ryan Armstrong and second-year player Derek Regier. This line of youngsters, who played a regular shift all night and caused the Crushers fits in their own end, is a testament to the depth the Wolves have this year on offense, their best in the decade since the team returned to the league.

The Crushers regained the lead on another powerplay soon after, but McQuillin tied the game at threes with a handful of minutes left, from Travis VanGaver and Gallant (although it looked like VanGaver’s goal). With much of the even-strength play in Shallow Lake’s end, Edwards wasn’t overly busy in the third, but made the necessary saves to give his offense a chance to come back.

Although they continued to pressure the Crushers late in the period, the Wolves couldn’t find the back of the net, and a five-minute overtime was needed. With a Crushers player off for a nasty high stick to the head of Wolves forward Shea Armstrong, McQuillin won the game for the Wolves with a wicked shot under the crossbar after his first attempt at the net was blocked. Assists went to VanGaver and newcomer Tyler deVos, who adds a definite spark to the attack with his speed and work ethic.

The Wolves defensive corps also deserves a lot of credit for not only keeping Shallow Lake at bay in their own end, but also forcing the play on offense with crisp first passes, smart pinches and good blueline coverage to keep the pressure in the Crushers’ end.

The Wolves travel to Lucknow on Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. for a meeting with their cross-township rivals. They return home to host the league champs from Saugeen Shores on Saturday, Oct. 20, at 7:30 p.m. Season passes are available at the door.

The Ripley Wolves stormed out of the gate in their season opener and hung on for an 8-6 win over the Shallow Lake Crushers on Oct. 5.

The Wolves dominated the scoresheet for the first two periods, building a 6-2 lead heading into the third. They managed to weather a third period rally by the Crushers and added an empty netter to get the season started with a win.

Ripley native Kurt Edwards was very strong between the pipes, while the offense easily shook off any off-season rust.

Captain Jeremy McQuillin, who missed Friday night’s game but plans to suit up for the Wolves home opener on Oct. 12 against these same Crushers, said scoring goals won’t be an issue with this year’s team.

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The Ripley Wolves launch their 2012-13 season tonight in Shallow Lake against the Crushers.

The team has spent the past two months getting their skating legs under them at various arenas across the region. They’ll now look to build off their exciting first-round playoff series from last season, where they nearly upset the third place Shelburne Muskies in the first round.

The Wolves will then host the Crushers in the home opener – brought to you by Kincardine’s Home Hardware – on Friday, Oct. 12, at 8:30 p.m.

Hat tip to the Kincardine Independent’s Josh Howald for this great season preview, and watch ripleywolves.com for constant updates and player profiles as the season unfolds. Also, be sure to follow us on Twitter @RipleyWolves.

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