Kingston Frontenacs GameDay October 5, 2018

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trailing 1-0 going into the third period. In his 3-1
loss to Niagara last Friday, Kingston was again down
by just one goal heading into the last period.
During the Frontenacs opening night 5-2 win
over Oshawa on September 21, Bonello shutout the
Generals in the first period.
The only slow start he’s had so far this season was
his last game in Mississauga against the Steelheads
on Sunday, where two of the three he allowed were
first period goals in a 4-1 loss.
Despite Bonello’s one win and three loss record
so far this season he sports a goals against average
of 3.03. and a save percentage of .915, good for
10th in the league.
“I think it’s been a good start so far on a personal
level,” Bonello said after practice on Wednesday.
“The team success is going to come later on, I think
we haven’t played to the standard we wanted to but
I think it’s all a learning curve right now and I think
soon enough it will come and we’ll be hitting our
stride.”
Last season with the Frontenacs Bonello, 19,
from Mississauga, only got into parts of 11 games
behind starter Jeremy Helvig.
He had come to Kingston last season after a
trade from Saginaw.
Bonello said he worked hard over the summer
reducing his body fat and adding muscle while
maintaining the same weight as last year knowing
he’d probably get most of the playing time this
season.
He also refined his game over the summer
months.
“I worked with our Kingston goalie coaches
[David and Marco Franco] in Toronto all summer
long and I think that helped.”
Frontenacs coach Kurtis Foster said both goalies
have been playing great so far this season.
“Brendan Bonello has come in and shown us
he’s a capable guy in this league,” he said. “I think
the last couple of years for him were trying and he
didn’t get the opportunity he was looking for and this
year he’s earned everything he’s got.”
Foster called Dugas’ shutout “an amazing
achievement.”
“We played a solid game in front of him and
OFFICIAL GAMEDAY MAGAZINE, VOLUME 46, ISSUE 02
sometimes when you have a younger kid going in
everybody wants to see him get the win so everybody
worked a little harder that night.”
Foster said the coaching staff hasn’t decided who
will play this weekend or if the duties will be shared.
“We’ll see what gives us the best chance to
win this weekend but I think at the end of the day
probably both deserve to get a chance.”
Foster also can’t say yet how the playing time will
be divided up this season.
“Right now as you can see from the way it’s been
that Brandon’s got the bulk of the work so far and
mostly because he’s earned it and he’s been able to
play strong games which has helped us and Ryan
is going to get his chance and if he continues to
play that way he’s going to make the decision hard
on me.”
Dugas was selected in the fourth round of the
2017 OHL Priority Selection and spent last season
close to his Hamilton home with the Ancaster
Avalanche in the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey
League where he put up good numbers including
a 2.01 goals against average in the regular season
and a 1.50 average in nine playoff games.
Dugas said playing on a junior team close to
home as a 16-year-old was a good transition to
playing for the Frontenacs this year.
“The main thing playing junior last year and
getting sent down was getting adjusted to playing
with older guys, playing 20 minute periods, having
intermissions between every period, having the
warmup before every game and coming back in the
dressing room.
“It’s a big difference from minor hockey as
especially being a goalie I have a lot of things I have
to do and there’s a whole new routine.”
Dugas said his parents were in the stands in Erie
to see his shutout.
“My mom was crying, my dad was almost crying.”
They were really proud of me and really happy.”
“It was definitely something I’ll never forget.”
For full coverage of the Kingston Frontenacs read The Kingston
Whig-Standard’s home edition or read it online at www.thewhig.com
© 2018 The Kingston Whig-Standard. This article was originally
published in The Kingston Whig-Standard. Reprinted with permission.
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