Maroons Blast Nationals To Open Season
The Chatham Maroons defeated the London Nationals in their home and season opener Sunday night at Memorial Arena in Chatham. Chatham rode the hat trick performance of hometown boy Trevor Richardson to open the season with a convincing 9-2 win, in a rematch of last season’s Western Conference championship series, which was won by the London Nationals.
After London got on the board first, it didn’t take long for Chatham’s new acquisitions to assert themselves as valuable assets. Connor Annett, who played for the Lambton Shores Predators last season, scored the first Maroons goal of the season to tie the game 1-1. Picking up an assist on the goal was fellow former Predator Kyle Brothers, who was acquired from Lambton Shores this week in exchange for Steven Beenackers and Jay Ritchie. Veteran Brayden Hopkins also assisted on the goal. This wasn’t however, Annett’s first go-around on home ice in Chatham, as the blueliner played for the Chatham-Kent Cyclones ‘AAA’ organization in 2009-2010.
After another London goal to close out the first, Maroons captain Michael Verboom knotted the game, scoring a shorthanded goal 6:59 into the second period.
Rookie Hayden Verbeek followed Verboom’s goal, scoring his first career Junior goal, with assists going to Brothers and Hopkins. The second period continued to be all Chatham as Trevor Richardson scored twice, and Matt Kenney also netting a goal for the Maroons. Assists in the second went to Verbeek, Eric Palazzolo, and Steven Szekesy.
In the third period, Richardson capped off his hat trick, while Matt Kenney scored his second of the game, and Mark Fratarcangelli, who played for the Kingsville Comets last season, scored his first as a Maroons.
Richardson also had an assist in the game, contributing on 4 of the Maroons’ 9 goals in the game, as was Michael Verboom who had a goal and 3 assists, while goalie Darien Ekblad opened the season with a solid performance, stopping 31 of the 33 shots he faced.
Chatham travels to Lambton Shores Tuesday to face the Predators, before hosting Strathroy next Sunday.