Wolves take 2-0 lead against Shelburne; next home game now Feb. 18

The Ripley Wolves have taken a 2-0 lead in their playoff series against the Shelburne Muskies, in WOAA senior men’s hockey on the weekend.

The Wolves took Game 1, Friday night at the Ripley Arena, with an emphatic 7-1 win.

Though the final score makes it look as if the Wolves cruised to victory over the Muskies, the game could have been much different after a series of first-period penalties that required goalie Jason Hamilton to make some acrobatic saves in net.

Once the Wolves cleaned up their behaviour and started playing five-on-five hockey, the ice began tilting in their favour, and Cody Britton got them on the board late in the first, with helpers going to Garrett Meurs and Brett Catto.

From the drop of the puck in the second, the Wolves looked like the team that led the league in win percentage in the regular season, and they pumped in four goals during the frame, chasing the Shelburne starter for the third.

Goal-scorers were Dan Nicoloff (2), Chase Meurs, and Britton. Assists went to Adam Alexander (2), Payton Dunlop, Tyler McCarthy, Derek Skinner, Catto and Garrett Meurs.

In the third, Garrett Meurs and Hunter Robins-Gibbons scored in a 14-second blitz, with assists going to Nick Seiler, Britton and Skinner.

Hamilton lost his shut-out bid seven minutes into the third, when the game was well out of reach.

In Shelburne, Saturday night, the Wolves notched a 6-2 win over the Muskies.

Garrett Meurs had a five-point night (three goals, two assists) and Cody Britton had four (one goal, three assists) to lead the Wolves to victory.

Other goal-scorers were Brett Catto and Dan Nicoloff. Other assists went to Derek Skinner, Tyler McCarthy, Logan Swanton and Catto.

Goalie Jason Hamilton got the win in the Wolves net.

Game 3 will be Saturday, Feb. 12, in Shelburne, and the Wolves host Game 4 next Friday, Feb. 18, at 8:30 p.m., at the Ripley Arena.

If necessary, the rest of the games will be played as follows:
 

• Game 5 - Saturday, Feb. 19, in Shelburne, at 8 p.m.
• Game 6 - Sunday, Feb. 20, in Ripley, at 7:30 p.m.
• Game 7 - Tuesday, Feb. 22, in Ripley, at 8:30 p.m.