WEST CARLETON – In a last-ditch effort to remain on Santa’s Nice List, West Carleton’s major hockey teams are ending the year with some positive results.

The West Carleton Inferno (6-17), playing in the National Capital Junior C Hockey League (NCJHL) finished the 2019 portion of the schedule with an important 5-1 win over the North Dundas Rockets (10-10-1) last Sunday (Dec. 15).

The win keeps the Inferno within two points of the final playoff spot in the NCJHL heading in to the Christmas break and gives the team two wins in its last three games.

“The Inferno finished 2019 on a high note defeating the powerful North Dundas Rockets,” Inferno general manager and owner John Miotla told West Carleton Online yesterday (Dec. 16). “It was a fast-paced game with goals by Corey Symington, Ethan Biggs and Ryan Nugent.”

In fact, Carp’s Symington scored three goals for the natural hat trick including the game winner. Symington is on a tear in the NCJHL. The 21-year-old leads the team in scoring with 28 points in 19 games and has only been held off the score sheet in five regular season games. He has 19 goals for the Inferno which puts him tied for fourth for goals in the entire league.

Kanata’s Vinny Quattrochi, a 21-year-old defenceman, got three helpers in the game. Goalie Alex Miotla made 30 saves in the game. The Rockets are second in the West Division, now nine points ahead of the Inferno.

Five of the six Inferno wins have come in front of the home crowd in Carp, but the team missed out on a chance to earn that .500 home record with a 5-2 loss to the Clarence Castors (12-8-1) Saturday (Dec. 14).

The Inferno are on Christmas break now and don’t play again until Saturday, Jan. 4 against the very beatable Morrisburg Lions (1-20-1) on the road before heading home Sunday, Jan. 5 for a 4:10 p.m. game against the Vankleek Hill Cougars (14-7).

The West Carleton Rivermen of the Eastern Ontario Senior A Hockey League (EOSHL) are cruising in to the New Year on top of the league standings.

The Rivermen (10-0-1-1) gave up their first tie of the season on Dec. 14 following a 6-6 game against third place the Deseronto Bulldogs (4-6-0-1) and will end 2019 with no regulation losses.

It was a back-and-forth game but was called with 12 minutes left in the third period following a medical emergency on the ice.

“Deseronto goalie Graeme Gemmil collapsed in his crease,” Rivermen player/owner Adrian Moyes released in a statement Dec. 14. “In cases like these the outcome of the game doesn’t matter as we are all just one big hockey family. Our thoughts and prayers are with Graeme as he is currently recovering in hospital.”

The day before the Deseronto game, on Friday, Dec. 13, the Rivermen pounded the cellar-dwelling Maxville Millioniares (1-11-0) 15-5. The Rivermen got stronger every period scoring three in the first, five in the second and seven in the third.

Moyes had an incredible offensive output scoring a hat trick and adding three assists for six points in the game. Moyes had a nine-point week and was honoured with the EOSHL Third Star of the week. Teammate Ryan Lough was named the Second Star of the week with two goals and three assists.

The Rivermen next hit the ice Friday, Jan. 3, 2020 on the road against the Cornwall Prowlers (7-2-2). The Rivermen’s next home game is Friday, Jan. 10 against the Millionaires.