WALKERTON – The Capitals had a mixed weekend in PJHL action – an 8-5 loss to Wingham on Friday night, and a thrilling 5-4 overtime win over Goderich on Sunday afternoon.

Friday night, the Capitals came out strong, scoring three goals in less than two minutes – Keegan Fischer from Sam Shakes and Kyle Durrer, and a pair of goals by Elliott McCarey from Clayton Fitzsimmons. A startled Wingham team scored once by the end of the period – Jonah Burley from Noah Wettlaufer and Micah Kraayenbrink.

But it was in the second period that the Ironmen took control of the game with six goals. Dawson Fahrer scored within the first minute, assisted by Coleson Fischer. Then it was Nolan Janes from Chase Lorenz and Fischer, Austin Becker on the power play from Fischer and Kyle Stanbury, Stanbury unassisted, Becker from Fahrer, and Stanbury from Nate Bloemberg and Noah Bloemberg.

Wingham made it 8-4 early in the third period – Stanbury’s third of the night for the hat trick, assisted by Brandon Bishop. The Caps weren’t done yet, though – Ethan Kerr scored, assisted by Owen Tichbourne and Aiden Mead, to close the gap to 8-5.

Capitals 5, Flyers 4 (OT)

Sunday afternoon’s game kept fans on the edges of their seats.

The Capitals scored in the first period – Graham Gateman from JJ Lavigne.

After that, the lead went back and forth between the two teams. The Flyers scored less than two minutes into the second period – Owen Shore from Jeff Fritzley and Iain MacIsaac – and took the lead on a goal by Fritzley, assisted by Shore. The Caps tied the score with only seconds left in the period – Durrer from Shakes.

Durrer scored right out of the gate in the third period, on assists from Tyler Ewald and Shakes, to take the lead. But the Flyers fought back and regained the lead with a power-play goal by Carson Stutzman, assisted by Brett Harrogate and Fritzley; and a short-handed goal by Fritzley from Shore. Three minutes later, the Capitals tied the score with a goal by Ewald, assisted by Durrer and Keegan Fischer, to send the game into overtime.

At the 1:27 mark, Durrer scored his third of the night, assisted by Tichbourne and goalie Logan Bromley. The final score was 5-4 for Walkerton.

With only a handful of games left in the regular season, the Mount Forest Patriots lead the North Pollock Division with 61 points. Hanover are second with 56, and Mitchell and Wingham each have 53. Kincardine has 40 and Walkerton has 16, while Goderich has 14.

On Friday, March 3, the Caps host the Mitchell Hawks for at 7:30 p.m. On Sunday, the Hanover Barons visit Walkerton for a 2:30 p.m. game – the final scheduled game of the regular season.

Pauline Kerr, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Walkerton Herald Times