Royals take the Johnson Cup

BY PATRICK HEALEY



The Windsor Royals came together as a team almost nine months ago with one goal in mind for the 2008-09 Nova Scotia Junior Hockey league season -- to win the Don Johnson Atlantic Junior B Championship.

That mission came full circle Sunday as the Royals scored three first-period goals en route to a 4-1 defeat of the host Sherwood Falcons at MacLauchlan Arena in Charlottetown. It marked the second time in seven years the Royals, who last took the championship in 2001, have won the title and the sixth time a Nova Scotia team has brought home the championship.

“We came in to this tournament as favorites and every team made our job very difficult,” assistant coach Brett Fletcher said as the team made their way home Sunday night. “Key players stepped up and we played as a team as we have all year long.”

Among those key players were over-agers Chris Fearneley, who paced Cumberland County Cool Blues at the 2007 Don Johnson Cup, Dylan Shearer and Keith Burgess.

Fearneley, who saw time with the Maritime Junior A Hockey League's Summerside Capitals, was solid in earning his third straight win at the five-team tournament after a shaky start to the event, making 20 of 21 saves.

Shearer on the power play, Ryan Gale and Brett Mosher put Windsor ahead 3-0 before the game was 20 minutes old en route to the win. Burgess made it 4-0 with a second period marker at 10:39. Matt Milsom, Jeff Harnish, Fraser Roddick, Cody Hebb and Jeff Backman chipped in helpers.

“We started this journey almost nine months ago with one goal in mind,” Fletcher said. "We have all done a great job at finishing what we started. Dojo champions.”

Fearneley lost his shutout bid when Sherwood's Gavin Duffy scored 4:13 left in regulation.

Chris Daziel turned aside 26 of 30 that he faced in suffering the loss before a boisterous pro-Falcons crowd.

The Windsor Royals had punched their ticket to the championship game at the Don Johnson Cup Saturday afternoon.

Ryan Gale scored the game winner with 8:26 left sending the Royals past Dieppe-Memramcook Voyageurs 3-1 and a berth in the championship game Sunday afternoon.

Keith Burgess and Jeff Harnish, into an empty net with 23 ticks left in the contest to seal the victory, had the other goals for the Nova Scotia champions, who finished first based on goal differential after round robin play. All five teams finished with identical 2-2 records.

Harnish with a pair, Burgess, Dylan Shearer and Matt Milsom contributed assists on the team's goals.

Andy Joseph had the Voyageurs lone goal.

Fearneley was solid between the pipes for the Royals for a second straight game, turning aside 17 of 18 shots. Michel Breau suffered the loss making 28 of 30 shots.