Stratford Warriors goaltender Tyler Parr follows the play during a game versus the Waterloo Siskins earlier this season. (Photo by Censational Photography)

Redhawks visit Cyclones, Warriors host Siskins tonight

Four local teams are set to clash tonight in Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League action, as the Stratford Warriors host the Waterloo Siskins, and the Cambridge Redhawks visit the Listowel Cyclones. The games will both have playoff implications, as teams continue to battle for positioning in the crowded Midwestern Conference. 

The Warriors enter tonight in fourth place, three points shy of the Redhawks for third. The Siskins still have an outside shot at catching the Cyclones in fifth, although they trail Listowel by seven points with just five games remaining. Stratford has been very good on home ice this season, sporting a 13-9-1 record, while the Siskins are 9-10-2 on the road. Drew Welsch paces the Warriors offensively, sitting with 51 points in 47 games played. Head coach Dave Williams has put his trust in both his goaltenders this season, as Tyler Parr and Rhett Kimmel have 15 and 13 wins, respectively. In Waterloo, the Siskins have struggled to find offense this season after multiple top scorers from last season moved on. Brock Krulicki leads the team with 30 points. 

The Cambridge Redhawks have been one of the GOJHL’s hottest teams as of late, and have continued to improve each season since rejoining the league. Cambridge sports a 15-8-2 record away Galt Arena this year, and will look to add to that total tonight when they visit a Listowel team that has been very good at home, going 11-6-6. The Cyclones have largely been kept afloat by excellent goaltending all season long, as rookie Dixon Grimes has 13 wins and a 2.20 goals against average, coupled with returnee Evan Morrison’s 2.68 mark. For Cambridge the formula has begun with offense, as four Redhawks currently sport over a point-a-game average, led by Joey Warywoda with 54 points in 41 games. 

Both games have 7:30 pm puck drops, and both are sure to feature playoff-level intensity. Elsewhere in the Midwest, Brampton plays host to Brantford in a battle of the conference’s two lowest seeds.