Siskins take on Midland in playoffs
The last place Caledon Golden Hawks stayed close with the Carruthers Division Junior C regular season’s top team, Stayner Siskins, for the first three games but after that it was a wipe-out.
Stayner won the first game doubling the score 6-3. Close enough but not like the next two. In Game 2, the Golden Hawks upset the local club with a stunning 5-3 regulation-time win.
In Game 3 on home ice in Stayner, another upset was in the making as the game ended 2-2. In the overtime period, Kevin Boyd pulled the trigger at the 4:12 mark with Ben Hughes helping to the relief of Siskins’ loyal. The sudden loss and narrow overtime victory stunned the heavily favoured Siskins and luckily the boys came out of their doldrums, winning large, 10-2 and 8-3, to take the series in five games.
Despite Caledon’s lousy 11-29-2 record they finished the regular season with a strong performance, mainly due to calling up several AAA Juvenile AP players from Mississauga including goaltender Christian Cipironi, 20, who was sensational in the series.
According to the Siskins general manager Richard Gauthier, the difference in Stayner’s play was the offence driving to the net and taking advantage of the goalkeeper kicking out generous rebounds.
“We weren’t trying to be fancy,” he admits.
Since Stayner won the regular season, the Siskins hold home ice advantage during the entire league’s Carruthers division playoffs. Their next opponent is fourth-place Midland Flyers, 17-25-0. The Flyers defeated the 16-26-0 Huntsville Otters in six games.
The first game of the series started last night (Feb. 23). Game 2 is tonight in Midland beginning at 8. The two teams play again Sunday in Stayner starting at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, home ice returns to the Flyers in Midland, 8 p.m. puck drop; and back to Stayner Thursday night for an 8:10 start.
If Games 6 and 7 are necessary they will be played in Midland Friday and Stayner Saturday.
Considering Stayner’s enviable 39-3-0 regular season record and the fact Stayner won the six games the two teams played this season, the series should be over quickly. But… this is the playoffs! You just never know.
Says Gauthier, “We determine our own fate. If we can come focused, play our game, nobody can beat us.”
Shortly after saying that, Gauthier confessed that defence wins championships and Stayner can be better in its own zone. Stayner has no trouble scoring goals.
Most observers are expecting Stayner to meet the second place Alliston Hornets, 36-5-1, who have happened to be the defending league champions consecutively for a multiple of seasons.
Similar to Stayner, Alliston received a scare in the first round against Schomberg despite winning the series 4-1. They won the first two games 6-1 and 5-2 and then in Game 3 lost 4-3 in overtime. The fourth game was all Alliston with the Hornets winning 9-5. Game 5 was different and Schomberg almost forced a Game 6, but Alliston rose to the occasion winning in overtime 5-4.
Alliston now takes on the third place Penetang Kings, 17-23-2.
Penetang just finished a gruelling seven-game series against the Orillia Terriers, pulling off the Game 7 victory 4-1.
If an upset is in the making this would be the series as Penetang managed to win one and tie another against Alliston their six-game match-up.
Yet, everyone is looking forward to Alliston and Stayner meeting. It’s well known the two clubs don’t like each other.
Keep an eye out.
Amy Hinchey photo
