Another convincing win is in the bank for the Wellington Dukes on their season-opening weekend.
Overage forward Zach Mascard and Quinte Red Devils graduate Maclean Chisholm each scored twice and Jayden Levesque added three points in his return to the Dukes from the BCHL in an 8-1 drubbing of the Toronto Warriors on Sunday afternoon at Scotiabank Pond
The Dukes jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first period and didn’t look back, with Mascard burying his first of the season, followed by Blake Berthiaume and Mac Chisholm’s milestone first OJHL goal.
Wellington continued to up the ante in the second, pelting Bogdan Bogomolov with close chances.
For the second time in as many games to begin his OJHL career, Presley Kelly buried a goal, cutting across the high slot against Toronto defensive pressure and beating Bogomolov low on the blocker-side to make it 4-0.
Three minutes later, Chisholm cleaned up the mess left off a long-distance shot from Ryland Harvey for his second of the day.
The Warriors got one back in the last minute of play on a Henry Wang snapshot off a two-on-one rush, but the Dukes were simply too strong and too far ahead.
Three more tallies in the third period sent the Dukes comfortably on their way.
Mascard cashed in for the second time, Landon Marleau buried a rebound for his second of the year and Reid Crossman sunk home his first marker as a Duke to finish the scoring.
Mascard, Marleau and Levesque all finished with three points on the game, while every skater except two registered at least one point and Dryden Riley stopped 17 shots.
Wellington outshot Toronto 37-18 in the first-ever meeting between the two teams.
The Dukes will try to keep the good early momentum going with a stop at Mississauga’s Port Credit Arena to face the Chargers at 7 p.m.
