Mar 17, 2024 | Dwight Irwin | 731 views
Wolves fall in six games to Tavistock
The Ripley Wolves battled hard but couldn't dig their way out of a three-game deficit to force a Game 7, losing 5-2 in Game 6 on Sunday afternoon.
The Wolves forced Game 6 with a double overtime thriller on Saturday night, with Garrett Meurs scoring in the second extra frame.
Other Wolves goals went to Kaden Hoggarth (2), Dan Nicoloff (2), and Cody Britton. Assists went to Nicoloff (3), Meurs (3), Gerrit Satosek, Todd Hellyer, Derek Skinner, Brett Catto, and Hoggarth.
Jason Hamilton got the win in the Wolves net.
Game 6 on Sunday in Tavistock was a back-and-forth affair, with Tavistock finally breaking a 2-2 deadlock with two quick goals midway through the third period. They added an empty netter to seal their return to the finals where they'll defend their title against the Minto 81s.
Pat Looby and Jakob Reeves scored for the Wolves, with assists going to Jarred Colling, Logan Swanton, Hoggarth, and Britton.
Jason Hamilton took the loss.
Despite the disappointing finish to the season, it was a successful year for the Wolves, who finished first overall in the inaugural season of the Ontario Elite Hockey League. Their captain, Garrett Meurs, finished atop the league scoring race (17 goals, 27 assists for 44 points), while Ethan Skinner led the league in goals with 19 in just 11 games played. Hamilton led goalies in minutes played (1,094), wins (14), shutouts (4), and save percentage for goalies with more than six games played (.909) and a sparkling 2.52 goals against average.
The Ripley Wolves Executive thank the players, coaches, and training staff for their dedication and hard work this season. We also thank our sponsors, without whom we could not offer exciting Senior Hockey in our village, as well as our fans who show up every game and support the team. A huge shout-out also goes to our volunteers for all the work they do throughout the season and beyond.
We'll take a few days to get over this loss and then start getting excited for the 2024-25 season.