KCSSAA Boys High School Hockey Playoff Preview 2012
With the final games of the 2012 done, teams will now have a week off over the exam break to rest and prepare for the playoffs. Lambton-Kent and Ridgetown will receive byes through the first week of playoffs after finishing first and second overall respectively.
Here is a look at how each team stacks up heading into playoffs, including game previews for the quarterfinals:
CKSS Golden Hawks (3) vs. John McGregor Panthers (6)
Although on paper, it would be easy to discount the JMSS Panthers who finished the season 0-10, they were close in most games this season. CKSS however, has experience on their side as the reigning Kent Champions. After a slow start CKSS picked up several key wins down the stretch to secure the top quarterfinal seed. CKSS veterans Dylan Bell, Tyler Harwood, and Lucas Stanhope have been carrying the scoring, while the team boasts solid goaltending from Justin Pratt, and are anchored on the blueline by 5th year player Ashwin Roy. JMSS has a strong core of young players including grade 10 Zac Horvath who is one of the leading scorers for Chatham’s Minor Midget ‘AA’ team, as well as Major Bantam ‘AAA’ player Justin Baker.
UCC Lancers (4) vs. Wallaceburg Tartans (5)
Far removed from their 3-peat championship years, the Wallaceburg Tartans are still well coached, and play a strong positional game. In this matchup however, they likely won’t carry enough fire power to upset the UCC Lancers. UCC will be without defenseman Wade Esselment, who played for the Chatham-Kent Cyclones Major Midget AAA team last season, after a suspension in the final game of last season, and checking forward Kellen Kaniecki, who plays for the Cyclones Minor Midget squad, has been recovering from an injury and could be held out of the game. The Lancers still boast enough depth including captain Brandon Dube, defenseman Tyler Udvari, and young forward James McKewan to be a safe bet to beat the Tartans.
Ridgetown Royals
New to the league this season, the Ridgetown Royals surprised several teams by finishing 2nd in the regular season. Forward Steven Beenackers may be the most complete player in the KCSSAA league, and he’s backed by a solid defense corps anchored by Owen Batemen and Brayden Seliga who are able to transition the puck quickly up ice, and jump in on the offensive attack. A wildcard in the playoffs, experience might be the only team that holds this team back. After beating every team but the LKCS Cardinals this season however, it’s impossible to right off Ridgetown as serious contenders. Ridgetown will face the winner of CKSS and JMSS.
LKCS Cardinals
The Cardinals pulled out a last minute 1-0 win over the CKSS Golden Hawks in the final game of the season to end a perfect 10-0 regular season. Dresden looks like the real deal this season after losing last year’s Kent final to CKSS in a shootout. Led by grade nine Trent Fox, the Cardinals are deep up front, and have received solid goaltending all season. In fact, the Cardinals have such a balanced lineup, that it is hard to tell whether they are playing their first line or third line. LCKS will face the winner of UCC and Wallaceburg.