Eade Emerging for Ravens

With the GMHL approaching the midway point of the season the league’s pecking order is becoming clearer, game-by-game but there is always room for a twist.  

The Halton Ravens 6-3 road victory over one of the GMHL’s premiere clubs, the Orangeville Americans (11-6), provided an unexpected shake up on Wednesday night.  

Although the Ravens have played their way into the upper-half of the league’s standings they have gone through the growing pains expected of an expansion club.  

The largest issue at this point in the season has been consistency.  

“Currently, we are a good team but a young team,” said Ravens Head Coach, Oliver Wren prior to his team boarding their bus to take on the Americans.  “In order to be successful the team needs to change its mindset.  You can’t just hope that you will win or think that you will win.  We have to go into other teams’ rinks and expect to win.”   

Wren’s point is a valid one.

The Ravens have regularly been beating the teams in the bottom half of the league standings but their efforts against the GMHL’s top clubs (especially on the road) have been uneven.  A good period has been followed by a bad period, early leads haven’t held up, and strong third period rallies have fallen just short.

Wednesday night, the Ravens showed the kind of determination that Wren pointed to earlier in the day.  The Halton squad extended their winning streak to 3 games by taking down the Americans.  

Clearly the Ravens’ players expected to win.

The Ravens were on-target early, taking a quick 2-0 lead in the first period on goals by Michael Eade and Josephy Leahy.  

When the Americans tallied a marker prior to the end of the first period the Halton squad remained calm, collected and played with the mental toughness that the team has been working all season to develop.  Halton started the second period with two more consecutive goals, stretching their lead to 4-1.

Goaltender Mike Caluori continued the steady play that has seen his ice-time gradually increase over the past few weeks, holding a potent Orangeville offence that has averaged over 5.5 goals per game to just 3.  Caluori made 29 saves to pick up the win.

Offensively, the Ravens continued to lean on their top two lines with Dennis Fontyn, Chris Micallef, Tyler Gmerek and Christian Hayes keeping the heat on Orangeville’s defence.  The quartet totaled 10 points in the win but they were not the only Ravens littering the scoresheet.

Eade (1G, 3A), who came to Halton from the Cleveland Barons, quickly earned a place on the Ravens’ top blueline pairing.  He continues to make a case as the GMHL’s top defenceman but combining sound defensive play with consistent offensive contributions.  

Armed with a strong first pass, smooth-skating ability and a sharpened understanding of the Coach Wren’s system, Eade has helped to put his teammates in a position to make plays and keep the Ravens’ blueliners on the right track, notching 18 assist so far this season.

The Ravens hope to extend their winning streak this weekend as they face off against the Toronto Attack Friday evening before returning home to face the Bobcaygeon Bucks at 3:00pm Sunday afternoon at the Wave Sports Centre.

(Nick Longaphy, www.haltonravensjrahockey.ca)