Dolphins love matinee games

DORCHESTER, Ont. - The Dorchester Dolphins may be requesting more Sunday home games at 3:30 p.m.

There has been only two games, but the Dolphins are 2-0 for matinee outings, after edging the Wellesley Applejacks, 5-4, Sunday afternoon at the Flight Exec Centre.

The win followed losses on the previous two nights, 5-4 at Norwich Friday and 6-4 to Paris on home ice Saturday, a stretch of three games in less than 72 hours.

"It's tough going three in three. We had high compete today. Last night we didn't have that, but the guys were locked in today," Dolphins' head coach Jordan Fuller said. "It was our drive and compete right from the get-go and that carried us right through. We needed these two points badly, after a couple of games I thought we could have won."

The Dolphins improve to 2-4, with both wins on Sunday afternoon.

Jayden Hazelwood and Isaiah Perrotte both scored twice leading the Dolphins to a 5-3 lead, until the Applejacks scored two late in the third period.

After spotting the Applejacks a 1-0 lead 66 seconds in to the game, the Dolphins led 4-1 after one period. Kyle Pandur tied the affair before Hazelwood tallied back to back pucks.

"In Norwich we had a couple of tough bounces. I thought we outplayed Norwich, but it's not always going to lead to two points," Fuller said. "(Saturday at Paris) there was no compete at all. We made a point of emphasis to be better, compete harder and do the little things right in the D zone. We did that today."

Wellesley kept Dolphins' 16-year old goalie Ethan Anderson busy all game, with 49 shots, twice as many as the Dolphins shot at the other end.

"I figured the shots would be lopsided as we would be tired. We needed Anderson to make some saves and he did that," said Fuller. "His first junior win. He was kicking right through. He played great against a good team."

Wellesley starter Brock Schaus allowed four goals on 12 shots and was replaced by James Gall.

Hudson Parker with two goals, Rhys McCloskey and Luke Schofield, scored for Wellesley.

Quinn Gavin-White drew two assists, before taking a checking from behind game misconduct penalty.

Gavin-White has 12 points, on four goals and eight assist, to sit ninth in PJHL scoring.

The Dolphins were without their captain, defenceman Mavin Smith, out all three games after blocking a shot last weekend.

Defenceman Liam Brulotte did return.

Improving team play in the defensive zone is a focus for the Dolphins moving forward.

"We're going to score goals. We scored five again (Sunday). It's D zone. We need good break out passes. We need to be in shooting lanes and we need to be picking up guys," Fuller said. "Hopefully we can get Mav and Brulotte in the lineup together again. We haven't had our full D core for a game yet this year. We've been playing musical chairs back there."

Cutting out the needless penalties is another challenge. Soon the repeat perpetrators may find themselves watching the game.

"We have the most penalties in this division by 30 minutes. There have been penalties we didn't need to take," said Fuller. "We've have to figure out what's going to get though to the guys, as to be more disciplined."

Hosting Paris Saturday, the Dolphins held a 2-1 lead briefly, before the Mounties scored four consecutive goals.

Dolphins Tanner Ducharme and Colin Langstaff, both had a goal and an assist. Brulotte, in his second game of the season, returning from an injury and Will Joyce, also scored.

The Dolphins, 2-5-0, sixth in the PJHL Doherty division, have two weeks off, for the wedding of head coach Jordan Fuller on October 3.

The Doherty is now a seven team division, after Woodstock moved up to the Greater Ontario Hockey League.