​Ripley Wolves battle hard but fall in six games to Tavistock

The Ripley Wolves battled hard but couldn't dig their way out of a three-game deficit to force a Game 7, losing 5-2 in Game 6, Sunday afternoon, in Tavistock.

The Wolves pushed the playoff series to Game 6 with a double-overtime thriller, Saturday night, in front of a mammoth crowd, with Garrett Meurs scoring in the second extra frame.

Other Wolves goals went to Kaden Hoggarth (2), Dan Nicoloff (2), and Cody Britton. Assists went to Nicoloff (3), Meurs (3), Gerrit Satosek, Todd Hellyer, Derek Skinner, Brett Catto, and Hoggarth.

Ripley goalie Jason Hamilton got the win in the Wolves net.

Game 6 in Tavistock was a back-and-forth affair, with the Royals finally breaking a 2-2 deadlock with two quick goals midway through the third period. They added an empty-netter to seal their return to the finals where they'll defend their title against the Minto 81s.

Pat Looby and Jakob Reeves scored for the Wolves, with assists going to Jarred Colling, Logan Swanton, Hoggarth, and Britton.

Hamilton took the loss in the Ripley net.

Despite the disappointing finish to the season, it was a successful year for the Wolves, who finished first overall in the inaugural season of the Ontario Elite Hockey League.

Their captain, Garrett Meurs, finished atop the league scoring race (17 goals and 27 assists for 44 points), while Ethan Skinner led the league in goals with 19 in just 11 games played.

Hamilton led goalies in minutes played (1,094), wins (14), shut-outs (4), and save percentage for goalies with more than six games played (.909) and a sparkling 2.52 goals-against-average.

The Ripley Wolves executive thanks the players, coaches, and training staff for their dedication and hard work this season.

Also thanks to the sponsors without whom the team could not offer exciting senior hockey in the village, as well as the fans who show up at every game and support the team. And a huge shout-out to the volunteers for all the work they do throughout the season and beyond.

The Wolves will take a few days to recover and then start planning for the 2024-25 season.