By: Agrani Tiwari
The Ottawa West Golden Knights delivered an impressive 7-1 win against the Ottawa Jr. Canadians at Barbara Ann Scott Arena on Thursday, Oct. 31, displaying well-rounded offensive strength and disciplined defense across three periods.
The action kicked off with forward Bailey Pipe netting the first goal at 15:41, assisted by Justin Murdoch. The Jr. Canadians struck back in the second period with a power-play goal by Daniel Beauchemin, leveling the score. But Golden Knights quickly reasserted control in the third period, beginning with Matthew Stringer’s game-winning goal, assisted once more by Murdoch on a power-play.
From there, Golden Knights unleashed a series of goals, beginning with Rhett Cleverdon’s first of the season at 5:33, marking a pivotal moment for the defenceman. Reflecting on his goal, Cleverdon shared his sense of relief: “It was the first of the season, so yeah, it mattered… it always feels good to get the monkey off your back.”
Murdoch continued to stand out, assisting Cooper Moore on two back-to-back goals, earning Moore his fifth and sixth of the season and securing him the first star of the game. Murdoch himself netted a power-play goal at 11:32, rounding out his impressive performance as the game’s third star with one goal and three assists.
Golden Knights’ goalie James Cole played a pivotal role, blocking 25 of the Jr. Canadians’ 26 shots. In his post-game interview, Cole reflected on the game: “They had a pretty strong offensive core, but I think we played better as a team. Especially late in the third period, we really turned it around.” The defense remained steady, capitalizing on two power-play goals and limiting Jr. Canadians’ chances.
Despite a game misconduct to Carter Pilon in the second period and a penalty shot taken by Connor Dickey that went unscored, the Knights’ depth and cohesion shone through. Rhett Cleverdon also credited the team’s adjusted third-period approach: “In the dressing room between the second and third, we were just talking about getting shots on net… in the third, we focused on getting lots of pucks on net, and they found their way in.”
With this decisive victory, Ottawa West’s determination and teamwork set a solid foundation as they look toward their next matchup in Embrun on Friday night.
