Ironmen riding five-game losing streak after winning first five; head coach steps down

BY SHAWN LOUGHLIN

The joy of winning the first five games of the 2024/2025 season has now been matched by the agony of losing the next five games, after the Wingham Ironmen lost to the Hanover Barons in Wingham on Saturday, the team’s fifth straight loss.

 

The Saturday loss came after the team was scheduled to take on the Mount Forest Patriots on Friday night, also in Wingham, but an issue with the ice resurfacer caused that game to be postponed. It will be played at a later date.

 

The scoring on Saturday night was pretty straightforward, with three goals being scored, one in each period, with the Barons defeating the Ironmen by a score of 2-1.

 

Curtis Arnold opened the scoring for the Barons, potting an unassisted power play goal at 13:24 of the first period. In the second period, Sam Barrett doubled the Barons’ lead with a goal at 11:27, assisted by Cohen McIsaac.

 

At 18:33 of the third period, Tayt Bramhill found the back of the net for the Ironmen, assisted by Logan Burnham, cutting the Barons’ lead in half, but that was the only goal the Ironmen would score.

 

The Barons spent 26 minutes in the penalty box on 10 infractions, while the Ironmen were whistled six times for a total of 12 minutes in the box.

 

In net, Derek Hartley won the game for the Barons, stopping 31 of the 32 shots he faced, while Noah Ricci stopped 19 of the 21 shots he faced in a losing effort for the Ironmen. 

 

Hartley was also the first star of the game, with Sam Barrett of the Barons and Tayt Bramhill of the Ironmen serving as the second and third stars, respectively.

 

The Ironmen are now in fourth place in the North Pollock Division of the Provincial Junior Hockey League with a record of 5-5, though the team is tied on points with the fifth-place Mitchell Hawks, who have four wins, four losses, an overtime loss and a shootout loss.

 

The Fergus Whalers are in first place in the division with a record of 9-2 and 18 points. In second place is Hanover with 17 points and eight wins, one loss and one shootout loss.

 

The Mount Forest Patriots are in third place with 14 points with a record of six wins, two losses, two overtime losses and one shootout win, followed by the aforementioned Wingham Ironmen and Mitchell Hawks in fourth and fifth place, respectively.
The Goderich Flyers are in sixth place with a record of 4-5 and eight points, followed by the seventh-place Walkerton Capitals with a record of three wins, eight losses and one shootout win for a total of six points, and the Kincardine Bulldogs, who have one win, seven losses and one overtime loss for just three points.

 

The Ironmen will now stay in Wingham for the rest of the month, welcoming the Kincardine Bulldogs on Friday, Oct. 18 and the division-leading Fergus Whalers on Friday, Oct. 25.

 

On Friday, Nov. 1, the Ironmen will then head to Mitchell to play the Hawks, followed by three straight home games with the Hanover Barons on Nov. 3, the Goderich Flyers on Nov. 8 and the Mount Forest Patriots on Nov. 9.

 

On Friday, Nov. 15, the Ironmen will be in Hanover to play the Barons and then, on Saturday, Nov. 16, the team will be part of the grand opening for the Brussels, Morris and Grey Community Centre, taking on the Fergus Whalers at the newly-renovated centre, beginning at 7 p.m. The team will then round out the weekend with a 3 p.m. matinee on Sunday, Nov. 17 with the Whalers again - this time in Fergus.

 

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Last Monday, in other Ironmen-related news, head coach Dawson Smith announced he would be stepping away from the club, saying that he needed to spend more time with his family.

 

“Last week, I made the very difficult, but necessary decision to step down as head coach of the Wingham Ironmen hockey team. The Ironmen have always been like a second family to me, however, it’s time that I devote more time to my family,” Smith said in a statement. 

 

“As this chapter in my life closes, know that I will always carry a piece of the Ironmen with me and I will be continuing my support towards the team as a fan. Thank you all,” Smith added, while also thanking everyone involved with the Ironmen organization.