NCJHL Championship series begins in Vankleek Hill this Saturday
The Vankleek Hill Cougars will face the Westport Rideaus for the National Capital Junior Hockey League Championship (NCJHL), with Game 1 of the finals taking place at the Vankleek Hill Arena this Saturday (March 28).
The Rideaus – 20-9-1-2 during the regular season – scored a powerplay goal with just one second remaining in the second overtime of Game 7 to take a 2-1 win over the Kanata Kings in a back-and-forth NCJHL semi-final series between the league’s second and third place squads. By contrast, Vankleek Hill – 31-0-0-1 over the regular season – had a much easier road to the final, earning a weekend off after a 4-0 series sweep of the South Grenville Rangers.
Game 1 at the Vankleek Hill Arena this Saturday, March 28, is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. On Sunday (March 29) the Cougars will travel to Westport for Game 2 at the WTC Centre. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
While the Cougars are heavily favored in the series, they will have to be on top of their game to beat a resilient Westport squad.
“We have to be ready every game,” said Cougars Head Coach Hamish Cunning. “Westport’s a good team; they’re well coached. If we don’t show up, we’ll be in trouble.”
The team’s entire focus this season has been on winning an NCJHL championship for its fans and with the goal in sight, the Cougars’ head coach expects the players to keep their feet on the gas.
“That’s the key to our success – be ready from the drop of the puck,” Cunning emphasized. “If we show up ready to play, we have a very good chance to win.”
“For our fans, this was the goal right from the beginning of the season. We’re hoping to get four more wins and bring home a championship for Vankleek Hill.”
The Cougars scored 22 goals in a four-game sweep of the South Grenville Rangers in the NCJHL semi-final series between the two clubs. Photo: Reid Masson
