The Cambridge Redhawks celebrate a goal versus the Waterloo Siskins on Sunday afternoon. (Photo courtesy of FS Fotos)

Streaks take centre stage over weekend in local GOJHL play

The Listowel Cyclones and Waterloo Siskins have been trending in opposite directions as of late, with the Cyclones having won 11 straight games, while the Siskins have lost five straight heading into the weekend. Both teams would have a chance to continue and end their respective streaks as each squad had two games on the schedule. 

The weekend began with a rivalry game on Friday night as Listowel hosted the Elmira Sugar Kings. The game was tight the whole way through, with the teams trading goals in the first period, before Kurtis Goodwin put Elmira ahead with a powerplay tally in the second frame. Listowel answered back with a powerplay goal of its own in the third, and the teams headed for overtime tied, 2-2. After holding off a Sugar Kings push in the first 4-on-4 overtime, Listowel still could not manage a shot on goal in the 3-on-3 period and Elmira only needed one, as Goodwin scored just 16 seconds into the second OT to win the game, 3-2, and break Listowel's impressive win streak. Also on Friday night, the Stratford Warriors blanked the Cambridge Redhawks, 3-0, as Tyler Parr stopped all 20 shots he faced. In Brampton, the Bombers fell to the Kitchener Dutchmen, 5-4, as the Dutchies scored three unanswered goals in the final 10 minutes to complete the comeback victory.

Saturday night presented an opportunity for the Siskins to get back in the win column, visiting a 5-11-1 Cambridge team coming off a loss the night prior. Redhawks goalie Reagan Gies held the visitors at bay, stopping the first 31 shots he faced. Meanwhile, his teammates put three goals behind Machus Turner in the Waterloo net, with Eric Maltby leading the way with two goals and an assist. The 32nd Waterloo shot would finally get past Gies, but it was too little too late for the Siskins as they dropped their sixth straight game, 3-1 the final. Waterloo got another crack at Cambridge just hours later as they hosted the Redhawks on Sunday afternoon. For the first 35 minutes of the game, everything was coming up Siskins. Sam Cherry and Sam Spaedt scored for Waterloo in the first period and Brett Schaefer made it 3-0 with five minutes to go in the second frame. Just 46 seconds later, Ben McFarlane put Cambridge on the board, giving his team life heading into the third. The Redhawks poured it on the third, outshooting Waterloo and cutting the lead to one on an early goal by Jacob Coulson. Things went from bad to worse for the Siskins as an unsportsmanlike penalty put Cambridge on the powerplay with just over five minutes to play, and they would convert on another McFarlane tally to tie the game. Awarded another powerplay in the second overtime period, Cambridge would complete the comeback as Niki Molson ended it with 38 seconds to go, giving the Redhawks back-to-back wins over Waterloo, handing them their seventh straight loss. 

Elsewhere, the Dutchmen were unable to build off Friday's win as they dropped consecutive games to Brantford on Saturday and Sunday, both by a score of 3-2. Listowel was quick to return to the win column with a 2OT thriller against Stratford, 4-3, and Elmira handled Brampton at home on Sunday night, 4-2.

Gryphons no match for Mustangs in Yates Cup

The Guelph Gryphons went from being on the verge of missing the OUA Football playoffs to a berth in the Yates Cup final. They would have to visit the perennial powerhouse Western Mustangs on their home turf, though. 

The game felt out of reach for Guelph from the beginning, as two quick Western scores made it 14-0, and seven straight scores - including two safeties - made it 39-0 Western. Guelph managed a touchdown as the first half expired on a 4-yard pass from Theo Landers, cutting the lead to 39-7 at the break. The Gryphons felt life return to their sideline early in the second half, as JP Cimankinda tore off a 57-yard touchdown run to bring the deficit to 25 points. That was as close as Guelph would get, though, and Western scored three straight TD's and added a field goal to take the Yates Cup, 63-14. 

Theo Landers threw for a season-low 69 yards on the day, while Western's Chris Merchant lit up the Gryphons for 324 yards and a touchdown, and added three more TD's on the ground. Cimankinda ran for 148 yards and a touchdown for Guelph. Western now faces University of Saskatchewan in the Mitchell Bowl this Saturday afternoon. The winner will take on the winner of Laval and St. FX in the Vanier Cup next weekend.