It's been a little over a year since the Navan Grads brought in new head coach and general manager Marty Abrhams to help turn around a team that had just finished in last place in the Central Canada Hockey League with just nine wins in 62 games.
In his first full year behind the bench, Abrams lead the Grads to a 25-28-6-3
record, good enough for eighth place and a return to the playoffs where they lost in the first round to the Carleton Place Canadians.
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| Marty Abrams is in his second year as head coach and general manager of the Navan Grads Junior A hockey club. FRED SHERWIN PHOTO |
Despite their early exit in the post season, there was a substantial improvement in the Grads' overall performance to hope for better things to come in 2019-2020 and so far after just 10 games the team sits in a tie for third place in the Yzerman Division with the Hawkesbury Hawks. Both teams have identical 5-5 records.
Abrams says he is relatively pleased with the direction the team is heading in this early in the season, but he cautions there's a lot they have to work on.
"Overall, we're pleased with some of the things in our game, but we know there's a lot of work to be had especially in the area of discipline and cutting down on our penalties and maybe working little more on our special teams. So those two particular areas are the things we need to work on over the next 10 games,� Abrams told the Star after a recent loss to the
Kanata Stallions in which they gave up a pair of power play goals.
Jackson Arcan and Curtis Fabro are leading the team on the score sheet with 13 and 11 points respectively. Arcan has scored six goals and added seven assisits in 10 games, while Fabbro has four goals and 11 assists.
In goal, veteran Alex Wisco has started all 10 games, allowing 34 goals for a 3.40 goals against average.
The team's next home game is on
Sunday, Oct. 6 against the first place
Canadians.
(This
story was made possible thanks to the generous support of
our local business partners.)
STRAY DOG 7-YEAR ITCH ANNIVERSARY PARTY starting at 2 p.m. at the Stray Dog Brewing Company located at 150 Lacolle Way in the Taylor Creek Business Park. There will be family friendly games for all combined with great food, live music and, of course, plenty of suds.
SHENKMAN ARTS CENTRE 15TH ANNIVERSARY OPEN HOUSE from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. with lots of free activities for the whole family including dance workshops in hip-hop, contemporary, Bollywood and Kathak dance, bucket drum-ming and bubble art. There will also be a performance by Rwandan-Canadian singer Empress Nyiringango. ADMISSION IS FREE FOR EVERYONE..
ORLEANS FARMERS MARKET from 11 am to 4 pm in the parking lot at the Ray Friel Recreation Complex on Tenth Line Road featuring local food vendors and producers.
ORLEANS RIBFEST AND POUTINE in the Orléans Festival Plaza on Trim Road. Festival hours are Friday, Sept. 13 from 12 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 14 from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday, Sept. 15 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Free admission.
