Siskins nipping at Hornets’ heels
“The Stayner Siskins took a big bite out of the Hornets sting today defeating them 3-2 in overtime!”
Stayner Siskins outgoing public relations director Lori Clarke says that she has “been waiting a year” to use that opening line.
The game was played Sunday.
Clarke is making reference to the Alliston Hornets being the class of the region’s Junior C league for about a decade now.
The game was important because a team can measure their skill level against Alliston, which is the league’s measuring stick since the Hornets have been the best for so long.
Siskins general manager Richard Gauthier, who has been leading the green and gold either as a player, coach or general manager for eons, agrees: “To be the best you have to beat the best.”
Stayner never beat Alliston in five games last season. The Hornets had won their three previous games played this year up until Sunday afternoon at the Clearview Township rink. Despite the losses, a greatly improved 2016-17 Siskins team has been nipping at the Hornets heels this year.
Their first game was close, 4-2; the second game, Stayner’s home-opener, Oct. 6, Alliston was clearly better winning 5-1; and more recently, on Nov. 4, Alliston won in an 8-7 shootout that went to overtime.
Now before you start jumping up and down chanting ‘We Are The Champions’ this was just one game and neither team was 100 per cent healthy. JD Falconer and Austin Fischer (suspension), core offensive players for Stayner didn’t suit up. The two have combined for 71 scoring points.
Defencemen Tristan Park and Kyle Paulitzki didn’t play either. Alliston also were missing key players from their attack, Ryan Young, 32 points in 12 games, Stephen Nosad, the team’s second leading scorer, and Johnny Gage.
All the same, Gauthier says, “our guys were excited to beat them. They know how important it is to beat them… It’s a big deal. It’ll give them some confidence.
This game was well matched and both teams have to work hard to gain any momentum.
Period one saw no scoring, although Alliston did out-shoot Stayner 12-7.
Stayner came out strong in the second, but Alliston hit the scoreboard first on a short-handed goal by Drake Board at 15:08. Michael Holmes answered back with a goal at 19:25 assisted by Lucas Jeffery and Nolan King. The Siskins out-shot the Hornets 10-8.
Alliston took the lead in the third period on Board’s second goal, a power play marker at 12:11. Stayner never backed down and were relentless in their attempt to tie the game. At 15:24 Zack Trott evened the score with help form Ben Hughes and Jordan Taylor.
This sent the game into a seven-minute three-on-three sudden death overtime period. The Siskins controlled the overtime from the start; Jeffery’s shot at 3:34 was nothing but red light, scoring the winner, Stayner’s first win over Alliston after eight straight losses over two years. Holmes and Hughes assisted.
Siskins goaltender Hayden Ford was stellar between the pipes stopping 27 of the 29 shots. Stayner out-shot the Hornets 32-29.
In other games recently, Stayner defeated Orillia 11-4 Dec. 1; and beat Caledon in back-to-back games, 7-1 and 4-1, Nov. 25 and 24.
Stayner, 22-3-0 now sits one point behind Alliston in the standings with 44 points. Alliston’s record is 22-2-1. The Hornets other loss was against Schomberg, 4-3, on Remembrance Day and the tie was against Penetang, 4-4, Nov. 6.
Next game is this Saturday in Orillia against the Terriers beginning at 7:30 p.m. Stayner returns home Thursday, Dec. 15 to play Caledon, 8:10 p.m. puck drop.
