Rockets bring EOSHL title back to North Dundas
by Murray Link
The North Dundas Senior Rockets hockey club set a goal at the beginning of the season to bring the Eastern Ontario Super Hockey League title back home, and on Sunday April 6th, they did just that. In front of a crowd of 1,350 exuberant fans, the Rockets narrowly beat out the Smiths Falls Rideaus in Game 4 of the finals. To date, this was the largest attendance at any EOSHL game in the league’s 5-year history, with another 1,600 people watching the live stream on EOSHL TV’s YouTube channel. For the Rockets, this would cap off their 3rd title in 4 seasons as they were runners up to the Gananoque Islanders last year.
Centre #27 Mike “Mac” McNamee led all Rockets in playoff scoring with 28 PTS (9G, 19A) in 10 games. In Sunday night’s game, the play of McNamee might have been the deciding factor as he was involved in 6 of the seven goals in the game recording 6PTS (2G, 4A). When asked about his star player, Rockets coach Rob Sadler replied “We relied heavily on Mac during the playoffs… often we would double shift him”. Sadler also mentioned that “Mac is one of the best all-round players I’ve ever seen. His hockey sense is unbelievable and he is a real work horse”.
Rockets captain Derek Froats also made a big impact this playoff run as he recorded 14 PTS (8G, 6A) in 11 games. Froats was born and raised in Chesterville has become a bit of a local legend in the Senior hockey circuit. Fans can be seen in the Chesterville rink wearing his signature #19 jersey. When asked how he felt after the win Sunday night, Froats just smiled and replied “Feels great, this is the best Rockets team to date, I can’t wait for next year.”
The North Dundas Senior Rockets organization would like to thank the loyal fans who follow and support the team. Your attendance at home and away games did not go unnoticed, and is the fuel for years to come. The Rockets hope everyone has a great summer, and in the fall will be asking one big question: ARE YOU GOING TO THE GAME?!