By: Agrani Tiwari
The Ottawa West Golden Knights delivered a dominant performance on home ice, defeating the Smiths Falls Jr. Bears 6-2 at Barbara Ann Scott Arena on Monday night. A strong second period fueled the Golden Knights’ victory, as they pulled away with four unanswered goals to secure their 31st win of the season.
Golden Knights’ captain Connor Dickey was instrumental in the team’s success, earning first-star honors with a goal and two assists. His offensive presence helped set the tone for Ottawa West as they capitalized on their scoring opportunities and dictated play throughout the game. Dickey also achieved a personal milestone, scoring his 100th career goal during the game.
“Oh, I think it’s more just the players I’ve played with along the way,” said Dickey when asked about reaching the milestone. “A hundred goals? It means I’m getting a little old. So, you know, it’s kinda cool, but I’ve played with a lot of good players, and it’s nice to be a part of a lot of good teams. And when you’re playing on good teams, you get rewarded. So I’m happy that I played as long as I did.”
The game started evenly, with both teams exchanging goals in the opening frame. Ottawa West struck first at 7:39 when Cooper Moore found the back of the net, assisted by Rhett Cleverdon and Jacob Perreault. However, Smiths Falls responded quickly on a power play, as Rhys Bonvie capitalized on a feed from Nathan Seed and Timothy Bourne at 8:54.
The second period was all Ottawa West, as they took control and built a commanding lead. Paolo Peloso started the scoring spree at 3:54, followed by goals from Thomas Dickey and Connor Dickey, extending the lead to 4-1. Marco Peloso capped off the dominant frame with a goal at 19:36, giving Ottawa West a comfortable 5-2 cushion heading into the final period.
Smiths Falls managed to find the net once more in the second, with Aidan Conroy beating Golden Knights goaltender James Cole at 17:01, but it wasn’t enough to shift momentum.
Goaltender James Cole was a wall between the pipes, stopping 27 of 29 shots and earning second-star recognition. His strong play ensured that Smiths Falls had little opportunity to stage a comeback.
“I just thought James Cole was excellent,” said head coach Steve Sundin.
The Golden Knights sealed the deal in the third period with a goal from Justin Murdoch at 13:59, extending the lead to 6-2. The team maintained their defensive structure and prevented Smiths Falls from generating any meaningful offensive chances.
“We’re playing good hockey. I thought the guys played really, really strong tonight—defensively and offensively. And we got goaltending. We got all three,” said Sundin.
Dickey echoed the excitement and anticipation for the playoffs: “Oh, I can’t wait. I’m itching at it, and all those boys in the room are itching at it, and we just can’t wait to go at it. I think for a lot of us, including myself, this is the last kick at the can, and we’re gonna make the most of it. You know? So we just can’t wait.”
With this victory, Ottawa West improves their record and gains valuable momentum heading into the final stretch of the season. The Golden Knights will look to carry this energy into their next matchup as they continue their pursuit of a top playoff spot.
