The Napanee Raiders have their sights set on a second straight provincial Junior C hockey title.
The defending Ontario Schmaltz Cup champions are off to a sizzling start.
Ben Hagerman’s club has lost only once in regulation time this season. They fell to the Gananoque Islanders 2-1 on Nov. 29.
The Raiders are once again running away with the Tod Division regular season pennant. The black and white sport a record of 23-1-2 and have a 13-point lead on the second-place Amherstview Jets.
“Our record speaks for itself,” said Raiders leading scorer Evan Foley.
The 21-year-old overage forward from Belleville leads the team and the league with 52 points.
“Last year was hard to top but we’ll certainly try to duplicate it,” continued Foley.
“Obviously, our goal is to win the Schmaltz Cup again but it won’t be easy. This is a tough league with some tough teams. They all bring their ‘A’ game when they play against us. We’ve got a team that battles every night and that’s a big part of our success. We know how to compete and compete hard. We take nothing for granted.”
One of the newcomers on this year’s squad is no stranger to the Raiders.
Aidan McFarland was the Tod Division rookie of the year in 2015. The following season, McFarland played with the Mississauga Steelheads of the Ontario Hockey League.
After a couple of campaigns of Junior A hockey, McFarland decided to return to play for his hometown Raiders.
“The guys really accepted me, which was a nice feeling,” said McFarland.
After a slow start to the season, the 20-year-old forward has caught fire with 44 points in 26 games.
“We’ve got a strong club with lots of chemistry,” added the Napanee native.
“Some people say we’re not as good as last year but look at our record: It’s pretty impressive. If we keep doing what we’re doing for the rest of the season, we should be in good shape in time for the playoffs. We play for each other out there which is really important. Everybody is looking forward to the post-season and hoping to repeat last year’s performance.”
The Raiders have one more home game before the Christmas break. The Clarington Eagles stop off at the Strathcona Paper Centre on Friday night. Game time is 7:30 p.m.