Hunt scores two in 73's 4-2 win over Lakeshore

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LAKESHORE - The Essex 73’s skated into Lakeshore Friday night to take on their county rivals, the Lakeshore Canadiens, and skated out of the Atlas Tube Centre with a hard-fought 4-2 victory that tightened their grip on first place in the Stobbs Division.

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The win allowed Essex to open up a nine-point lead over the second-place Blenheim Blades.

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Despite a scoreless opening period, the rivalry atmosphere was evident from the drop of the puck, with both teams trading chances in front of an announced crowd of 905.

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Lakeshore struck first early in the second period when Brandon Leblanc notched his 10th of the season just 1:43 in, converting a setup from Vaughn Truppe and Owen Bentley to give the Canadiens a 1–0 lead. Essex answered less than two minutes later, as Connor Hunt tied the game at 3:33, finishing a play created by Noah Mathieson and Cael McCabe.

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The 73’s took control in the third period. Mitchell Hickson put Essex ahead at 5:35, scoring his second of the season off assists from McCabe and Gabe Barrette. Connor Hunt added his second of the night and 19th of the year at 12:31, extending the lead to 3–1 with help from Andrew Baker.

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Lakeshore made one final push when Michael Kopcok scored at 16:10, with Bentley and Truppe earning assists, but Essex sealed the outcome late. Travis Rivest fired home an empty-net goal at 18:57, assisted by Luke Sherk and Carter Dembinski, to cap the victory.

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In goal, Birk Cassels delivered a solid performance for Essex, stopping 20 shots to earn the win. Lakeshore netminder Boe Piroski battled throughout, making 18 saves in the loss.

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The teams combined for a physical, tightly contested matchup that lived up to its rivalry billing, but it was Essex that executed when it mattered most, skating away from Lakeshore with two valuable points and a growing cushion atop the Stobbs Division.

Sharks no match for high-soaring 73's

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ESSEX - The Essex 73’s continued their strong season Tuesday night, rolling to a convincing 5–1 victory over the Wheatley Sharks at the Essex Centre Sports Complex.

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Essex set the tone early in the first period when Marcus Levesque opened the scoring at the 6:31 mark, finishing off a quick transition play. The 73’s doubled their lead late in the frame as Connor Hunt buried his 17th of the season just four seconds before the buzzer, sending the home crowd of 471 into the intermission buzzing.

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The middle period belonged entirely to Essex. Luke Sherk made it 3–0 early in the second, then Mitchell Hickson added his first goal of the season midway through the period, and Cael McCabe capped off the scoring surge late in the frame with a well-placed shot to give Essex a commanding 5–0 lead after 40 minutes.

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Wheatley spoiled the shutout in the final minute of regulation when Colton Selwood found the back of the net with just 52 seconds remaining, but it was far too little, too late.

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Essex dominated the shot clock, outshooting Wheatley 35–13, and goaltender Birk Cassels turned aside nearly everything he faced to earn his 16th win of the season.

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With the victory, the 73’s once again showcased their depth and defensive structure, controlling the pace from start to finish and continuing to make the Essex Centre Sports Complex a difficult building for visiting teams.

Essex kicks off 2026 in winning fashion

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

​BLENHEIM - Essex earned a 5–2 road win over Blenheim on the strength of special teams, timely scoring, and solid goaltending.

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The visitors opened the scoring early in the first period when Austin Guevremont converted on the power play at 4:36 to make it 1–0. Blenheim answered midway through the frame as Landon Copeland found the back of the net at 13:29 to even the score. Essex regained control late in the period with another power-play goal, this time from Connor Hunt at 16:24, sending Essex into the first intermission up 2–1.

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Essex added to its lead in the second period when Jack Lewis scored at 6:14. Blenheim stayed within striking distance thanks to Tyler Trealout’s goal at 9:06, cutting the deficit to one. However, Marcus Levesque restored Essex’s two-goal cushion at 12:43, and the visitors carried a 4–2 lead into the final period.

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Blenheim pressed late, but Essex sealed the victory when Jack Lewis scored his second of the night into an empty net with 1:01 remaining, completing the 5–2 final.

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In goal, Essex’s Birks Cassels turned aside 27 of 29 shots, while Blenheim netminder Jake Vancoillie stopped 22 of 26. 

Dembinski, Mathieson net hat tricks to lead 73's to win

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ESSEX - The Essex 73s put on a dominant offensive performance, cruising to a 10–1 victory over the Walpole Island Wild.

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Essex opened the scoring midway through the first period when Carter Dembinski struck at 11:39. Walpole Island briefly answered back at 13:57 as Alex Simpson scored, but that would be the Wild’s lone highlight of the night.

 

Just over a minute later, William Claridge restored Essex’s lead to make it 2-1 after one period.

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The second period firmly tilted the game in Essex’s favoUr. Noah Mathieson scored just 38 seconds in, starting a three-goal night, and added another at 5:50 with assists from Gavin Gaudet and Ethan O’Neil. Dembinski followed with a power-play goal at 8:59, his second of the game, before Andrew Baker capped the period at 11:55 to give Essex a commanding 6–1 lead heading into the third.

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Essex showed no signs of slowing down in the final frame. Dembinski completed his hat trick at 1:19, Jack Lewis added a goal at 4:50, and Claridge scored his second of the game on the power play at 9:29. Mathieson rounded out the scoring at 11:30, sealing the 10–1 result.

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The 73s controlled the game in every aspect, outshooting Walpole Island 67–9, including a 22–1 advantage in the third period alone. Essex’s balanced scoring, strong special teams, and sustained pressure proved far too much for the Wild as the 73s earned the win.

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The 73's will take a break for the holidays, and will return to action jan. 4th when they visit the Blenheim Blades.

Essex back on track, pick up 11th road win on the season

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WHEATLEY - The Essex 73’s erupted for five unanswered goals to rally past the Wheatley Sharks 5–2, overcoming an early two-goal deficit with a dominant special teams performance and timely scoring.

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Wheatley struck quickly, opening the scoring just 59 seconds into the first period when Xander Zanier converted on the power play, finishing a setup from Vito Alfano and Jaydon Ferguson.

 

The Sharks doubled their lead at 13:37 as Alfano buried his eighth of the season off feeds from Seth Zylstra and Josh Chauvin, sending Wheatley into the intermission up 2–0.

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Essex began to shift momentum late in the second period. With just two minutes remaining, Connor Hunt got the 73’s on the board, snapping home his 14th of the season to make it a one-goal game heading into the third.

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The third period belonged entirely to Essex.

 

Hunt struck again just 36 seconds in, tying the game on the power play with help from Luke Sherk and Noah Mathieson. Less than two minutes later, Andrew Baker gave the 73’s their first lead, finishing a play set up by Travis Rivest and Marcus Levesque.

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Essex continued to pour on the pressure as Dembinski extended the lead at 9:08, scoring on the power play off assists from Baker and Austin Wright.

 

Noah Mathieson capped the scoring at 15:24, wiring home his 12th of the season with William Claridge and Matthew Cole earning assists.

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Despite being outshot 37–27, Essex received a strong performance from goaltender Birks Cassels, who was steady throughout and key in keeping the game within reach during Wheatley’s early surge.

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With the win, the 73’s showcased their resilience and special teams efficiency, turning a slow start into a victory. ​