Two steps back on tough weekend

After soaring to a 4-0 start, the Napanee Raiders fell back to earth on the weekend with losses to Lakefield and Trent Hills.

On Friday, the veteran Chiefs imposed their will by showcasing a mixture of speed and physicality, registering two goals each period by six different scorers in a 6-3 win.

Following first period goals by Lucas Legault and Charlie Blewett, the Raiders thought they found some life when Jay Dalgleish walked in alone for his first PJHL goal to make it 2-1, but Lakefield had an answer just 20 seconds later on an unassisted Matthew D’Angelo marker.  Owen Thake also scored in the second to bring the score to 4-1.

Andrew Carr had a pair of goals in the third to bring the Raiders closer – including a power-play marker just 49 seconds in, but each time the Chiefs replied, off the sticks of Jack Ryan and Cormac Clowater respectively.

The Raiders were outshot 43-30 in the game.

On Sunday, Napanee found itself playing catch up from the second play of the game against a hard-battling Trent Hills squad in a 3-2 loss.  Off an offensive zone play, Thunder overage newcomer Keegan Juchau muscled his way to a faceoff win and passed to an open Luke Wilkes streaking to the net for a goal 17 seconds in.

Carr brought the Raiders even on a pretty shorthanded effort from Trent Williams at 6:39 of the first, but again the response was short lived. Just 1:03 later, Gavin Williams put the home side ahead on a goal that just trickled out of Denholm Blair’s glove to the net.

Juchau recorded his third point of the night just ahead of the halfway point in the game, catching Napanee’s defence backing in and firing home a long-range shot.

Dalgleish again gave the Raiders some life, pouncing on a rebound just out of the reach of Trent Hills goaltender Christian Lambert for his second goal of the weekend with about three-and-a-half minutes left in the second.

The Raiders outshot the Thunder in each frame, including 13 shots in a high-pressure third period but amid the onslaught, they couldn’t beat Lambert, who stood tall to stop 42 shots in victory.  Napanee’s closest opportunities to score came with an empty cage in the dying minutes.  They couldn’t connect, leaving a jubilant crowd.

It was the first time Napanee has lost to the team formerly known as the Campbellford Rebels since January 2016.

The Raiders are back in action Thursday on the road against the Picton Pirates.  They’ll be off this weekend, returning home Oct. 10 against Trent Hills.