WOAA ” AA ” Quarterfinal
Saugeen Shores Winterhawks 3 Mapleton-Minto 81's 2 (OT)
(The Winterhawks lead the best of 7 series; 3-1)
by John Divinski
For the second consecutive game on home ice for the Saugeen Shores Winterhawks, the game with the Mapleton Minto 81's went into overtime and for the second consecutive time, the Hawks came out on top, 3-2.
The Hawks now lead the best of 7 quarterfinal WOAA Sr Hockey series, 3-games to one and can wrap up the series on Friday, February 22nd, again on home ice at the Plex.
Despite the 81's being outshot in the game, 52 to 20, it was Minto goalie Ben Nelson who kept them in the game.
Hawks coach Matt Turcotte says Nelson played a great game and has been the reason the series has been so tight.
However, Turcotte says they kept to the game plan in the first overtime period by firing pucks at the net in the hopes someone would knock one home.
That came at 10:32 of OT, off the stick of James McHaig.
Other scorers for the Hawks were Miles MacLean and Andy Mitchell.
The Winterhawks can wrap up the series on Friday at the Plex.
Game time Friday is 8:30pm.
The winner of the series will advance to the semi-finals where they will meet, defending champion Clinton Radars.
The Durham Thundercats will meet the Ripley Wolves in the other semifinal series.
Greater Metro Junior Hockey League
North Elimination Game
Knights of Meaford 6 South Muskoka Shield 1
( The Knights advance to meet the Bradford Rattlers in the North Quarterfinals )
South Elimination Game
Tottenham Steam 3 Northumberland Stars 2
( The Steam advance to meet Oshawa in another Elimination Game tonight )
Knights 6 Shield 1
Tyler Arsenault scored 3 times for the Knights who eliminated South Muskoka and earned the right to advance to the North Quarterfinals against the regular season champion Bradford Rattlers.
The game was scoreless until Alec Hernandez opened the scoring for Meaford 4 minutes in to the 2nd period.
Arsenault followed with his first marker on the night late in the 2nd period to stake the Knights to a 2-0 lead heading to the 3rd period.
South Muskoka, who eliminated Ottawa the night before, refused to buckle and Allan Saar scored 4 minutes into the 3rd period to make it a 1 goal game
Midway through the third, Tyson Gudaitis restored the Knights 2 goal lead, and then finally Meaford exploded for 3 markers in the final 5 minutes, the first from Matthew Giefert and then two more from Arsenault to complete the hat trick.
Allan Menary posted the victory for the Knights and he'll have to be sharp in the best of 3 North Quarterfinal if Meaford hopes to upset the Rattlers who went 35-6-0 & 1 on the season.
Arsenault believes the Knights can challenge the Rattlers especially with the last two head-to-head meetings being just 2 goal margins in favor of Bradford.
Game 1 in the series is scheduled for Friday night at the Meaford & St Vincent Community Centre.
Game 2 will be Sunday night at 7:30 pm in Bradford.
If a third & deciding game in the series is needed, it will be Monday night, again in Bradford.
1st Period
No goals scored.
2nd Period
04:25 Meaford Alec Hernandez (Francis Moore, Ricards Ralfs Gorobecs)
17:30 Meaford Tyler Arsenault (Connor Long, Callum Queenan)
3rd Period
04:46 South Muskoka Allan Saar (Nathan Compere, Samuel Rychvalsky)
10:08 Meaford Tyson Gudaitis (Eli Kinsman, Emil Lovig Larsen)
15:05 Meaford Matthew Giefert (Connor Long, Callum Queenan)
15:37 Meaford Tyler Arsenault (Tyson Gudaitis)
18:23 Meaford Tyler Arsenault (Matthew Giefert, Connor Long)
Steam 3 Stars 2
1st Period
08:37 Northumberland Tim Lavigne (Bo Stevenson, Nikko Morin)
2nd Period
00:19 Tottenham Power Play – Yaroslav Blokhin (Trevor Costello, Alexander Andrews)
13:34 Tottenham Power Play – Osman Cholak (Yaroslav Blokhin, Matthew Fornari)
15:17 Tottenham Power Play – Matthew Fornari (Yaroslav Blokhin)
3rd Period
11:12 Northumberland Austin Vallier (Josh Berkers, Nikko Morin)
Ontario Hockey League
Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds 6 Sarnia Sting 2
Rory Kerins scored twice in the victory.
Five Greyhounds had 2 point nights in the victory as Sault Ste Marie moves to within 4 points of London for 1st place in the Western Conference.
Cole MacKay, Jacob LeGuerrier, Keeghan Howdeshell and Mac Hollowell also scored in the Soo win.
Ryan McGregor had both goals for the Sting
Sarnia remains 7th in the Conference, but only 4 points back of the Owen Sound Attack for 5th place.
The Attack who have lost 3 in a row will host Erie Saturday night & then entertain Niagara on Sunday afternoon
WESTERN CONFERENCE
xLondon Knights 56 39 10 6 1 85
xSault Greyhounds 56 37 12 6 1 81
xSaginaw Spirit 56 36 15 2 3 77
Guelph Storm 56 30 16 6 4 70
Owen Sound Attack 57 27 25 3 2 59
Kitchener Rangers 56 27 25 3 1 58
Sarnia Sting 59 24 28 5 2 55
Windsor Spitfires 58 24 28 3 3 54
Erie Otters 56 23 30 2 1 49
Flint Firebirds 59 11 43 5 0 27
EASTERN CONFERENCE
xOttawa 67's 58 44 9 3 2 93
xNiagara IceDogs 56 34 15 7 0 75
xOshawa Generals 58 37 18 3 0 77
Sudbury Wolves 56 35 17 2 2 74
Miss Steelheads 57 29 21 5 2 65
Hamilton Bulldogs 58 27 26 3 2 59
North Bay Battalion 56 25 26 3 2 55
Peterborough Petes 56 25 28 1 2 53
Barrie Colts 56 23 29 3 1 50
Kingston Frontenacs 58 12 44 1 1 26
Minor Midget Rankings for the 2018 OHL Cup powered by Under Armour
Week 14
Don Mills Flyers*
Toronto Young Nationals*
Toronto Marlboros*
Whitby Wildcats
Sudbury Minor Midget Wolves
Toronto Red Wings*
Kitchener Jr. Rangers
York-Simcoe Express
North Central Predators
Mississauga Rebels
Honourable Mention
Guelph Gryphons
Brantford 99ers
Halton Hurricanes
Quinte Red Devils
PJHL Playoffs Tonight
Pollock Division Semifinal
Walkerton Hawks at Mount Forest Patriots
( Game 1 of a best of 7 )
8:30 pm
Carruthers Division Semifinal
Caledon Golden Hawks at Alliston Hornets
( Game 1 of a best of 7 )
7:30 pm
Bluewater Girls Hockey Playoffs Today
at the Julie McArthur Regional Rec Centre
10 am
Owen Sound District Wolves vs Kincardine District Knights
Grey Highlands Lions vs St. Mary's Mustangs
Bluewater Boys Hockey Playoffs
at Walkerton
10 am
St. Mary's Mustangs vs Kincardine District Knights
Walkerton Riverhawks vs Sacred Heart Crusaders
Ontario Senior Men's Curling Championship
at Brockville
Joey Rettinger of the Tara Curling Club meets Bryan Cochrane of Russell this afternoon & then goes against Gary Grant of Lindsay tonight.
The Rettinger rink includes Dave Twining, Peter Eller. Brad Cobean & Roger Kamrath
Minor Hockey
Bantam
Hanover Falcons 7 Chatsworth Howell Transport Rebels 6 (OT)
The Falcons scored the overtime winner 10 seconds into the extra frame
Adam Gorman had 3 goals for Howell Transport while Jack Diaz had 2 and Olivia Houston added a single
The Owen Sound Minor Hockey Group has 2 significant OMHA Playoff games Friday night
The Owen Sound Leeder & Associates Major Atom Attack lead Oakville 2 games to none in their best of 5.
Game 3 is Friday at the Harry Lumley-Bayshore Community Centre at 7:15 pm.
The Major Atom game will be followed by the Kunkel Bus Lines Major Bantam game against Oakville at 8:30 pm,
Kunkel Bus Lines leads their 6 point series 3-1
