The Kitchener Dutchmen celebrate a goal versus Elmira on Tuesday night.

Dutchmen roll over Sugar Kings at home

The Kitchener Dutchmen find themselves looking up at the top teams of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League’s Midwest Conference just over a third of the way through the season. That group includes the Elmira Sugar Kings, who were in Kitchener on Tuesday night to face the Dutchmen.

Looking for a statement game versus a talented and experienced Elmira team, Kitchener came out flying in the first period. Cooper Walker opened the scoring just over four minutes into the game, and Chris Taylor added a second Dutchmen goal five minutes later to open up a 2-0 lead after 20 minutes. Kitchener outshot Elmira 12-9 in the frame. The second period featured big saves from both teams’ goaltenders, but each side was able to convert on a power-play and the second period ended with Kitchener leading, 3-1. The Sugar Kings put on a push in the third, keeping Kitchener goalie Lucas Patton busy by sending 14 shots his way. He turned aside all 14, and Sean Kawalec put the game away with an empty-net goal with under a minute to go. Patton finished with 29 saves, while Kawalec, Taylor and Walker each had two points for Kitchener. The win brings the Dutchmen’s record to 10-10 giving them 20 points on the season, five behind Elmira for third place in the Midwest.

This weekend, Kitchener hosts Listowel on Saturday night before visiting Waterloo on Sunday afternoon, while Elmira is off until it hosts Brantford on Sunday night. Elsewhere, Waterloo is in Brampton on Friday night and in Brantford on Saturday night, Listowel and Stratford face off at Allman Arena on Friday night, and the Cambridge Redhawks have the weekend off.