The Peterborough Petes are coming off a tough stretch on the road, with mixed results in their recent games against the North Bay Battalion , Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds and Sudbury Wolves.
The Petes lost 4-1 to the Battalion on Friday and then were shutout by the Greyhounds 4-0 the following. After a day off Saturday, they rebounded with a convincing 5-1 win over the Sudbury Wolves, marking just their second road win of the season.
Head Coach Rob Wilson admitted the team’s performance wasn’t up to par during the first stretch of that Northern road swing but was happy to end the trip with a win.
Wilson also praised the team’s overall character, particularly in their win over Sudbury, noting that the 5-1 score was nice, it was the team’s resilience and camaraderie that stood out.
Looking ahead, the Petes are now working with a key addition to their roster in newly acquired defenseman, Rio Kaiser, who joined the team after suiting up for German at the World Juniors. Wilson says the 6-foot-7 defenseman is still learning and despite limited practice time has already been a solid addition.
As the January schedule heats up, the Petes are preparing for another packed month, with tough games against strong Eastern Conference teams like the Oshawa Generals, Niagara IceDogs, Brampton Steelheads, and tonight’s opponent, the Barrie Colts. Not wanting to look to far ahead in the schedule, Wilson says his focus right now is on keeping the team competitive and taking things one game at a time.
Wilson is hoping the team’s recent road trip and busy schedule will help strengthen the bond within the group as they move into the second half of the season and he’s hoping they’ll continue to build on the progress they’ve made over the last month.
(Written by: Scott Arnold)
