PARRY SOUND - The Fowler Construction Peewee’s opened their first round of the OMHA Playdowns against the Highland Selects on Saturday, Jan. 26.  
The Shamrocks came close to scoring early in the first with an Aiden Dudas shot going just high over an open net.  The Selects’ goalie made an incredible save to rob Casey Stevens of a certain goal.  However, later in the first, Dudas and Connor Davidson orchestrated a give-and-go passing play from behind the goal-line, which ended in Dudas scoring the opening goal.  However, the lead was short lived with Highland tying the score on the next shift.  In the second frame, Joel Bishop delivered a hard shot on goal from the point which resulted in a rebound that Dudas jammed in under the netminder.  Later in the second, Dudas completed his hatrick on a power play rush with Davidson and Stevens participating in the passing play.  Early in the third period, Dudas took a pass from Stevens and then fed Davidson sitting alone in front of the net who then found the five-hole making it a 4-1 game, which ended the scoring for the game.  Although not tested often, Shamrocks’ goalie Ethan Rodger made a few key saves.
The Shamrocks then made the drive to Minden on Sunday for Game 2.  The Shamrocks drew first blood with an early goal on the first shift of the game thanks to a solid point shot by Jayden Blower who scored his second of the year (Davidson and Dudas assisted).  The Selects tied the game up later in the first.  Davidson and Stevens set up a Dudas on a rush that ended with a classic Aiden Dudas shot finding the ceiling of the net giving the netminder little chance of making a save.  Stevens was awarded an assist on the play.  However, in the second period, Highland again tied the game and then took a 3-2 lead.  Shortly after, Dudas fired the puck in the offensive zone wrapping it around the net and Davidson fed the puck out to Stevens who tied the game. Dudas and Lyle Archer were awarded assists.  Archer saved a goal in the second frame as he dove to poke the puck in the corner when it seemed certain that a Highland player left open in the slot was about to take advantageous of a loose puck and an open net.  The Shamrocks struggled throughout the third period to control the puck.  Disaster struck part way through the third when a Shamrock defender went to clear a puck in front of his net but mishandled the redirect to the corner and instead  directed it into the Parry Sound net giving the Selects a 4-3 lead.  The Shamrocks were not able to respond and despite a two-man power play with a minute and a half remaining in the game (after two Highland players tackled and rough-housed Dudas), they could not even the score.