Coach’s suspension extended, Siskins appeal
Stayner Siskins continue to cruise along in the Northern Conference of the Junior C hockey league beating everyone handily except against the Alliston Hornets, the defending league champions currently sitting undefeated in first place.
Alliston has beaten the Siskins twice this season, 4-2, Sept. 16, and 5-1, Oct. 6. Stayner, 10-2-0, don’t play the Hornets again until Friday, Nov. 4. Since their last loss, Stayner has beaten Caledon, 6-4 and 7-4, Huntsville, 5-2, Midland 12-1, Penetang, 5-3, and Schomberg, 9-2.
The rivalry against Alliston increased after the Oct. 6 game, a game that saw head coach Dave Steele lose his composure and be handed an eight-game suspension. The suspension was later increased and Stayner has appealed the suspension. On Friday, Oct. 28, the OHA will officially rule how many games Steele must serve not behind the bench. He has already sat out seven games.
The reason why Steele was given the suspension was for some derogatory comments made towards an official.
Siskins general manager Richard Gauthier said, “He made a mistake and you learn from your mistakes.”
Since the out-of-control final period of the Alliston game, Jordan Taylor returned from a stint playing Junior B in Guelph and has clicked with linemates Ben Hughes and Zach Trott.
Oct. 20, on home ice against Midland, Taylor earned nine points, assisting on eight, to out-point Trott and Hughes, who each had seven points from their four goals and three assists’ efforts. The line accumulated a whopping 23 points in their 12-2 win. Not to take away from the other players, Ben Skuce, Michael Holmes and Sean Healy also notched tallies.
The following night in Penetang, the 5-3 game, the Hughes-Trott-Taylor (HTT) line was once again important in the victory. Although Hughes was kept off the score sheet; Trott picked up two goals and an assist, while Taylor assisted on one. Holmes, Nolan King and Jackson Clarke also twinged the net’s meshing making it a complete team effort. JD Falconer assisted on three goals.
Gauthier, who is handling the head coaching duties while Steele sits out, pointed out that the team is “offensively gifted” with “good goaltending” but the team is young and still learning.
He was making reference to the team’s potent attack and for letting the Kings back in the game giving up three third period goals.
In a Sunday matinee game 9-2 victory over Schomberg at Stayner, the HTT line was firing on all pistons. Hughes scored two goals and assisted on four, Trott earned two points from a goal and a helper; Taylor had a goal and two assists. Let’s be certain that this is not a one-line team. The entire team can put the puck in the net or play defence. JD Falconer fired two pucks in the net, Skuce, Fischer, and Healy each got one. Healy, by the way had a three-point night. Team captain Kyle Lafreniere also had two points from a couple of assists.
Gauthier said because five regular defenceman were out with injuries, “We had to put some forwards back on defence. They did pretty good at this level. Our guys have pretty good IQs.
“We have a good core of guys,” he added. “No egos.”
Stayner goalies Allan Menary and Hayden Ford both played very well in the three games. Menary was between the pipes for the Penetang and Midland games.
Alliston’s Ryan Young leads the league in scoring with 30 points followed closely behind by Stayner’s Hughes with 29 points form 12 goals and 10 assists. Trott, JD Falconer, and Taylor are also among the league’s top 10 scorers with 23, 21, and 18 points, respectively.
This Sunday, Stayner plays the Golden Hawks in Caledon, return home Thursday to host the Penetang Kings and on Friday, Nov. 3 the team gets another shot at Alliston in a game played there.
Gauthier concluded, “To beat the best you’ve got to play better.”
