Ottawa, ON – Four games were on tap Saturday night across the EOJHL, with Smiths Falls, Ottawa West, Casselman, and Winchester all skating away with wins.
Smiths Falls 7, Richmond 1
The Smiths Falls Jr. Bears exploded offensively on the road, cruising to a 7–1 win over the Richmond Royals.
Richmond opened the scoring just 42 seconds in courtesy of Ethan Fleming, but it was all Smiths Falls from there. Caiden Deshaw responded quickly before Andrew Hopley put the Bears ahead late in the first. The visitors carried that momentum into the second, where Brody Nielissen and Hopley struck in quick succession, followed by Lincoln Chalmers extending the lead midway through the frame.
Hopley completed a hat trick in the third period, while Chalmers added his second of the night to seal the dominant performance. Hopley finished with six points (3G, 3A), while Chalmers (2G, 2A), Deshaw (1G, 2A), and Nick Colson (3A) also had standout games.
Cole King was sharp in goal, stopping 32 of 33 shots for the win. With the victory, Smiths Falls improved to 7-6-0-0, while Richmond dropped to 5-6-0-0.
Ottawa West 3, Athens 1
Special teams proved the difference as the Ottawa West Golden Knights took down the Athens Aeros 3–1.
After a scoreless first period, Justin Murdoch opened the scoring shorthanded late in the second before William McCulligh doubled the lead with a power-play marker just over a minute later. Connor Poulin got Athens on the board early in the third, but a late insurance goal from Thomas Dickey—his 13th of the season—secured the two points.
Dustin Riff was steady between the pipes for Ottawa West, turning aside 30 shots for the win. The Golden Knights improved to 10-0-1-0, while Athens fell to 3-7-4-0.
Casselman 4, Renfrew 0
The Casselman Vikings earned a statement 4–0 shutout win over the Renfrew Timberwolves, powered by a balanced attack and stellar goaltending from Émile Pagé.
Owen Mann opened the scoring midway through the first on the power play, followed by goals from Kaleb Fogarty and Tristan Simoneau to give Casselman firm control. Cédric Ouimet added one more less than a minute later, capping a four-goal outburst.
Pagé was perfect in net, turning aside all 22 shots he faced for the shutout, while Jeremy Bessette led the way offensively with two assists. Casselman improved to 9-2-0-0, and Renfrew dropped to 6-6-1-0.
Winchester 4, Arnprior 3
In one of the night’s most exciting finishes, the Winchester Hawks held off a late Arnprior push to earn a 4–3 road victory.
Ryan Ross got Winchester on the board early with a power-play goal, but Ethan Smith tied it late in the first for the Packers. Rookie Kyler Leboutillier made his mark in the second with two quick goals to give the Hawks a 3–1 lead. Charlie Grant added his first of the season in the third before Arnprior battled back with two late goals from Rowan Casey—including a shorthanded marker—but the comeback fell just short.
Ross had a three-point night (1G, 2A), while Leboutillier scored twice and Jimmy Boyd earned the win in net with 30 saves. Winchester improved to 4-8-0-0, and Arnprior fell to 5-4-0-0.
