Sugar Kings defenceman Carter Lennon is awarded the Midwestern Conference defenceman of the month award prior to Elmira's game vs. Kitchener on Sunday night.

First-place Sugar Kings fill the net, increase lead atop Midwest 

The Elmira Sugar Kings rang in December with two big wins in Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League action over the weekend, scoring 14 goals in the process. Elmira took down Brantford on Saturday, 7-5, before surviving the Kitchener Dutchmen on Sunday, 7-5. 

In Brantford on Saturday night, it was a matchup of the Midwest’s first- and last-place teams, and it showed. Elmira got early goals from Jacob Black and Cooper Way while outshooting the Bandits 14-8 in the opening frame, leading 2-0. The offensive onslaught continued in the second, as Mason McMahon scored a minute in, and Brody Leblanc made the score 4-0 Elmira four minutes later. Both tallies were assisted by Jeremey Goodwin. In the third period, Brody Waters scored twice for the Sugar Kings, with a goal by Luke Eurig in between, and Elmira cruised to the convincing 7-0 victory. The shots finished 39-22 in favour of the Kings, with Dawson Rowe earning the shutout in goal. 

On Sunday night, after the winter weather settled, the Kitchener Dutchmen came to Elmira coming off a 4-2 against Waterloo on Saturday, two points shy of the Sugar Kings for the Midwest lead. Elmira defenseman Carter Lennon was awarded the Midwest's defenceman of the month award before the game. The Sugar Kings’ scoring touch seemingly traveled with them from Brantford the night prior, as Kurtis Goodwin and Keaton McLaughlin opened up a 2-0 lead for Elmira in the first period. McLaughlin got his second of the night three minutes into the second, but Luke Munroe answered unassisted for Kitchener 26 seconds later, and Nathan Smilsky brought the Dutchies to within one, also unassisted, another 26 seconds after that. The scoring frenzy continued a minute later, with McLaughlin completing the hat-trick and restoring Elmira’s two-goal lead. The teams traded goals once more, and the second period finished with Elmira leading 5-3. In the third period, Kitchener struck 11 seconds in on a Braeden Bowman goal, but McMahon answered again for Elmira shortly after. Late in the third, Kyle Kennery scored for the Dutchies to make the deficit one, and Kitchener got a powerplay in the final minutes looking to tie the game. However, it was McMahon scoring shorthanded into an empty cage to seal the wild win for Elmira, 7-5. The Kings had seven players with at least two points, highlighted by McLaughlin’s three goals. Sean Kawalec and Luke Munroe each had a goal and an assist for Kitchener. 

Elmira now leads the Midwestern Conference with 44 points, four clear of Kitchener in second place. The Cambridge Redhawks, who fell to the Stratford Warriors on Saturday night, sit in third trailing Kitchener by four points. In fourth are the Listowel Cyclones, fresh off back-to-back wins over Brampton this weekend. Stratford’s win gives them 31 points, and places them in fifth. There’s a considerable gap between the Warriors and sixth-place Brampton, who lead the Siskins by a point, and last-place Branford by four points.