The North Dundas Senior Rockets picked up their second win of the season in their home opener as they defeated the South Stormont Mustangs 7-5. Prior to the start of the game, The Rockets were presented with the championship banner for the 2024-2025 season by Joshua Rowlands, the league co-owner and President. From left: Derek Bourdreau, Fabian Walsh, Derek Froats, Shane Bakker, Joshua Rowlands, league co-owner and President. Tinkess Photo

CHESTERVILLE – The North Dundas Senior Rockets picked up their second win of the season in their home opener as they defeated the South Stormont Mustangs 7-5.

Prior to the start of the game, The Rockets were presented with the championship banner for the 2024-2025 season by Joshua Rowlands, the league co-owner and President. The championship was the Rockets’ third in four seasons; the streak interrupted in 2023-2024 by the Gananoque Islanders.

The Rockets opened the scoring on the powerplay at 6:25 with Eric Locke combining with former Islander Brock Higgs and Mitchell Gibson. The lead would be short-lived, as just 12 seconds later, at 6:37 Marc Beckstead tied things up on an unassisted and shorthanded effort.

The Mustangs would start to pull away just a bit when Ben Lapierre scored at 10:05 with assists from Brendan Jacome and Yanick Lalonde. Beckstead added his second of the game on the powerplay at 11:07 with Jacome and Isaac Barr assisting.

The Rockets, however, would rally and pull within one at 14:58 when Locke picked up his second of the game with the lone assist going to Gibson.

The Mustangs would widen their lead to two goals with the period winding down when Barr, at 19:57 scored a short-handed goal with assists Liam Markhauser and Jacome adding the assists.

The Rockets picked up the pace in the second period, scoring three unanswered goals. The first came off the stick of Adam Barkley with Fabian Walsh and Gibson assisting at 14:53. They tied things up at 18:33 with Andrew Radjenovic scoring with assists from Dean Byvelds and Shane Bakker. They then grabbed the lead at 19:40 on the powerplay with Jarrett Burton combining with Locke and Higgs on the powerplay.

The Rockets continued to press in the third period and increased their lead to two goals at 5:28 when Ben Blasko, the other former Islander to join the team in the off season combined with Chris Kushneriuk and Higgs.

The Mustangs would claw back to within one goal at 11:18 when Justin Mcrae, assisted by Markhauser and Beckstead made it 6-5. That would be as close as they would get as Byvelds assisted by Shane and Cam Bakker slid the puck into the empty net. Final score, North Dundas 7, South Stormont 5.

Penalty-wise, both teams concentrated on playing hockey until late in the third when tempers flared. The thirty minutes in minor penalties were divided almost evenly with North Dundas receiving 14 minutes and South Stormont 16 minutes. Late in the third period Yanick Lalonde received a five-minute boarding major penalty and a ten-minute misconduct, while Justin Mcrae for the Mustangs and Chris Kushneriuk for the Rockets each received five minutes for fighting.

In goal, Matt Jenkins picked up the win stopping 14 of 19 shots, while Dimitri Pelelos stopped 37 of 43 shots.

Erik Locke with two goals and an assist earned the first star. Marc Beckstead with two goals and an assist earned the second star for the Mustangs, and Cam Bakker was the third star.

League co-owner and President Joshua Rowlands, who presented the championship banner prior to puck drop stuck around for the entire game and seemed pleased with what he was seeing. There have been a lot of changes and growth in the league, which is now known as the Northern Premiere Hockey League (formerly it was the Eastern Ontario Super Hockey League). There are 17 teams in the Capital Division and eight teams in the Metropolitan Division.

The Rockets next see action versus the South Grenville Rangers on Sat., Oct.11 at 2:00 p.m. in Chesterville.