Stayner Siskins take one win, one loss over holiday
The top two teams in the Georgian Bay Mid Ontario Junior C Hockey League played twice after Christmas and both games ended very differently.
Alliston Hornets, 26-5-1-0, and Stayner Siskins, 21-6-2-2, split their two games played Sunday, Dec. 28 and Friday, Jan. 2.
Alliston pounded the Siskins in the first game 8-0 on Stayner ice but gave way to Stayner at home in the next game 3-1.
Siskins general manager Richard Gauthier, who happens to be one of the best quote artists in the league, summarized the 8-0 loss by chirping both teams.
“It was kind of embarrassing,” he said. “The first period looked like both teams had just eaten a pile of mashed potatoes and turkey. The game went back and forth. [Alliston’s] chances started to go in and then it looked like each of our players ate a turkey.”
Alliston scored four goals in each of the second and third periods.
Gauthier didn’t want to make excuses but mentioned that the players didn’t practice over the Christmas break. He said that after the Friday night loss, coach Steve Walker practiced the players hard on Tuesday.
“They burnt off some of the calories,” he quipped. “We did well the next night.”
In the victory, Siskins goaltender Trevor Bloch handled 35 shots fired his way. Stayner mustered only 26 but three felt the twine.
Sean Healy and Cooper Martin gave Stayner a healthy 2-0 lead by the end of the first period, and Ricky Darrell connected on the power play to end the second with even a greater gap. The Hornets buzzed around Bloch in the third hammering 18 shots at the net. Only Hornets’ Nic Archibald, currently the league’s leading scorer with 19 goals and 37 assists, power play goal turned the red light on.
“Our guys needed this (win against Alliston),” added Gauthier. “It was a big confidence builder.”
Stayner was not triumphant in the previous two games against the Hornets losing 6-5 and 6-3. The two clubs face each other again Jan. 22 and 30.
In upcoming games, Stayner plays Orillia, 13-18-2-1, this Thursday night at home and in Erin against the Shamrocks, 11-18-2-1, Saturday.
Alliston, by the way, lost the next night, Jan. 3 to Orillia, 5-2.
Another team to watch is Huntsville who has slowly been moving up in the standings. The Otters sit in third place with a 21-10-1-0 record. In the last 12 games, they have earned at least a point with 11 of those games wins and the other a 4-3 overtime loss.
Not to be outdone, Stayner has done quite well also. In their last 18 games, the Siskins have won 15, suffered one spanking and earned a point in each of their two shoot-out losses.
