Road to the 2019 National Junior A Championship: CCHL

The Carleton Place Canadians scored the most and allowed the least for a sixth-straight CCHL crown.

Jason La Rose

Ho hum … another season, another regular-season title for the Carleton Place Canadians, who made it six years in a row atop the CCHL. The Canadians weren’t quite as dominant as during their 53-win campaign in 2017-18, but they were still pretty darn good. A seven-game win streak from Sept. 16 to Oct. 8 helped Carleton Place keep pace with Brockville (who rattled off 14 wins in a row), and another seven-game run to close the schedule secured a six-point edge over Ottawa and another first-place finish. The Canadians scored a CCHL-leading 236 goals – twins Zachary (24-41—65) and Ben Tupker (24-32—56) were sixth and 12th, respectively, in league scoring – and allowed a league-low 140 thanks largely to Connor Murphy, who fashioned a league-best 2.07 GAA.

PLAYOFF MATCH-UPS
1) Carleton Place Canadians vs. 8) Navan Grads
2) Ottawa Jr. Senators vs. 7) Kanata Lasers
3) Brockville Braves vs. 6) Smiths Falls Bears
4) Rockland Nationals vs. 5) Hawkesbury Hawks

FINAL STANDINGS (W-L-OTL)
Carleton Place – 95 points (44-11-7)
Ottawa – 89 points (43-16-3)
Brockville – 87 points (41-16-5)
Rockland – 85 points (40-17-5)
Hawkesbury – 80 points (37-19-6)
Smiths Falls – 67 points (28-23-11)
Kanata – 65 points (30-27-5)
Navan – 59 points (25-28-9)
Cornwall – 57 points (24-29-9)
Pembroke – 55 points (27-34-1)
Kemptville – 49 points (21-34-7)
Nepean – 27 points (12-47-3)

LEADING SCORERS
Luca Nocita (Kanata) – 32G 43A 75P
Brendan Browne (Pembroke) – 29G 44A 73P
Connor Sleeth (Kanata) – 33G 39A 72P
Trevor Poeze (Kanata) – 31G 38A 69P
Alex DiCarlo (Pembroke) – 28G 37A 65P

LEADING GOALTENDERS
Connor Murphy (Carleton Place) – 31-8-3, 2.07 GAA, .917 SV%, 3 SO
Liam Soulière (Brockville) – 26-8-1, 2.13 GAA, .930 SV%, 2 SO
Francis Boisvert (Ottawa) – 31-11-0, 2.19 GAA, .920 SV%, 3 SO
Cyrus Martin (Rockland) – 13-5-1, 2.20 GAA, .919 SV%, 2 SO
Alex Wisco (Navan) – 16-7-4, 2.25 GAA, .936 SV%, 6 SO

LAST NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP APPEARANCE
2018 (Ottawa Jr. Senators – fourth place)

TOTAL NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP APPEARANCES
20 (2018, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2011, 2010, 2008 (host), 2007, 2005, 2004, 2000, 1998, 1997, 1995 (host), 1988 (host), 1987, 1977, 1976, 1974, 1973)

LAST NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
2011 (Pembroke Lumber Kings)

TOTAL NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
2 (2011, Pembroke Lumber Kings; 1976, Rockland Nationals)