Catching Up with the PJHL Golden Hawks, OJHL Admirals, and GOJHL Bombers

By Jim Stewart

Approximately 25 per cent of the 2023-24 PJHL, OJHL, and GOJHL seasons have been played by mid-October and this week we look at how our community's Junior Hockey teams—the Caledon Golden Hawks (Junior C), the Caledon Admirals (Junior A), and the Caledon Bombers (Junior B) – are faring in their respective leagues. 

Caledon Golden Hawks

(PJHL—Junior C)

5th Place in the 9-team North Carruthers Division with a 4-5-1-1 record (GF 27-GA 36)

Top Four Scorers: Nathan Gelsomini--11 GP/6G+3A=9 PTS; Joseph Poma—9 GP/4G+4A=8 PTS; Patrick Polaczek—11 GP/4G+2A=6PTS; Nicholas Volpe—11 GP/1G+5A=6 PTS.

Recent Games:

The Golden Hawks lost 3-2 in OT versus the second-place Stayner Siskins on Sunday at the Mayfield Recreation Complex. Chad Walker turned aside 38 of 41 Siskins shots in another noble effort between the pipes. Caledon jumped out to a 1-0 lead on Sunday when Edward Rebelo—on assists from Nicholas Volpe and Arunas Scott—beat Siskins' goaltender Coulter Taylor at 5:22 of the opening frame.  Seven minutes later, the Golden Hawks took a two-goal lead when Andrew Perrino finished off a pass from Chad Van Wheelie. Caledon kept mighty Stayner off the scoreboard until 19:24 when Ryan Russell fired home his tenth goal of the season to narrow the Golden Hawks' lead to 2-1 heading into the first intermission.

The Golden Hawks' one-goal lead held for seventeen minutes in the second period until Connor Hiles—on assists from Russell and Cole Dubowsky—lifted the Siskins into a 2-2 tie.

After a scoreless third period, Hiles knocked in the game-winning goal forty seconds into overtime, but the Golden Hawks picked up a key point in the standings against perennial powerhouse Stayner. 

On Friday the 13th, the Golden Hawks earned a tidy 3-2 road win in Penetang over the Kings.  Chad Walker was selected as the First Star of the Game by PJHL staff and earned the win by repelling 42 of the 44 shots sent his way by the home side.

After a scoreless first period in which Walker made 17 saves to keep his team in the contest, the Golden Hawks took a 1-0 lead five minutes into the middle frame when Arunas Scott—with helpers from Liam Noonan and Nathan Gelsomini—fired a power play goal past Kings' netminder Sawyer Lammle.

The Golden Hawks took their one-goal margin into the second intermission and Nicholas Volpe gave Caledon a 2-0 lead at 2:59 of the final frame. The Kings' Tanner Thayer scored the first of his two third period goals at 7:01 to pull Penetang within one, but Patrick Polaszek's power play marker at 11:45 restored the Golden Hawks' 2-goal lead.  Thayer's second goal at 12:24 reduced the home team's deficit to one, but Walker closed the door in Caledon's 3-2 win.  

The improving Golden Hawks have won three of the last five games to move into the middle of the PJHL's very competitive North Carruthers Division where Schomberg, Stayner, and Alliston are currently in a three-way tie for first place with 14 points.  The PJHL is comprised of 61 teams across Ontario.

Caledon Admirals (OJHL—Junior A)

11th Place in the 12-team West Conference with a 1-7-0-4 record (GF 24-GA 61)

Top Four Scorers: Deandreas de Jesus--12 GP/3G+3A=6 PTS; Deacon King—11 GP/2G+4A=6 PTS; Dawson Doner—12 GP/2G+3A=5PTS; Tanner Greenwood—12 GP/1G+4A=5 PTS.

Recent Games:

The Admirals started their OJHL season on a promising note with a 3-1 home ice win over the Toronto Patriots. Unfortunately, the squad is mired in an eleven-game losing streak, having lost all three of its games in October:  5-0 on Friday night to Oakville at Sixteen Mile Arena; 2-1 on Thursday night to Buffalo and 6-3 last Friday night to Georgetown—both games were played at the Mayfield Recreational Complex. 

The OJHL is comprised of 24 teams across Ontario and Western New York.

Caledon Bombers (GOJHL—Junior B)

8th Place in the 8-team Midwest Conference with a 0-9-0-1 record (GF 14-GA 42)

Top Four Scorers: Ryan Tackaberry--10 GP/3G+1A=4 PTS; Dylan Kelly—10 GP/3G+0A=3 PTS; Evan Grigor—6 GP/2G+1A=3PTS; Brady Hunter—9 GP/1G+2A=3 PTS.

Recent Games:

The Bombers currently reside in last place in the 23-team Junior B loop; unfortunately, the Caledon squad has lost all three of its games this month:  2-0 on Friday to the Elmira Sugar Kings; 5-2 on Wednesday also to the Sugar Kings; and 5-0 to the Cambridge Redhawks last Saturday.