Donald Teuma-Castelletti
SHAWVILLE Nov. 18, 2017
A Central Canada Hockey League game was decided with just 30 seconds left on the clock Saturday night, when the Pembroke Lumber Kings’ James Buckley fired in a game-winning goal.
Organized by Nepean Raiders head coach Darcy Findlay and the Shawville District Minor Hockey Association (SDMHA) to raise funds for local hockey, the second annual Minor Hockey Day at the Shawville Arena did not disappoint.
Kicking off the game, Pembroke’s Zachary Cross snuck one past Nepean’s defences just past the seven-minute mark.

The Raiders scrambled to recover and did so with 45 seconds left in the first, as Michael Thomas scored to give his team some redemption, tying the game up.
As the second period began, both teams tightened their defences as it looked like the crowd was in for a war of attrition. Still, Brendan Browne broke through almost 18 minutes in, scoring the second goal for Pembroke.
The period ended two to one in favour of the Lumber Kings, but it wasn’t over yet.
The Raiders’ Kari Belec led the charge in the third, levelling the playing field just past a minute into the final stanza.
The third played out like a tennis match, as the players pushed the puck from end to end.
Eventually, the player’s frustrations boiled over and a few melees broke out towards the end of the game.
The action only stopped in the third when a bit of roughhousing knocked the glass out of the boards. Arena staff were quick to get it all back together, but players had a laugh and a breather for the time it took to fix it.
This break gave the players a second wind and they didn’t waste it. Both teams worked to keep the play in the opposing end, but when Buckley buried the puck with less than a minute left, the victory was sealed.
However, that didn’t stop Nepean’s Davis Browning from taking out his anger at the buzzer. Just as the timer ran out, Browning put on one last show for the kids when he started a bit of a donnybrook before being restrained by a ref.
At the end of it all, the goal for the evening was accomplished – locals, especially the children, got to take in a high-level hockey game right in Shawville, all the while supporting the town’s minor hockey teams.
“Ever since they lost the Junior B team here, it’s nice to have a game in town,” said Findlay.
This game is put on in addition to the Fish Findlay Classic Tournament, which has raised close to $50,000 for the SDMHA over the past five years. Besides the evening game, a food and toy drive was held in benefit of local families.
“For the kids this provides a vision and something to look forward to,” said Findlay. “Most only see NHL games on TV, not many get to see games live.”