Waterloo Siskins forward Sam Cherry scores a goal against the Listowel Cyclones earlier this season. (Photo courtesy of FS Fotos)

Two top-4 matchups kick off a weekend of GOJHL action

Top-heavy: how the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League's Midwestern Conference can be currently described. With Listowel, Waterloo, Stratford, and Elmira being separated atop the standings by just two points, followed by a large drop to Kitchener in fifth, the Midwest's top-four teams are poised to battle it out for top spot from here on out. Before the night is over, though, the positioning of those teams could look different than it does now. 

The Listowel Cyclones will play host to the Waterloo Siskins at 7:30 pm, while the Elmira Sugar Kings visit the Stratford Warriors simultaneously. As it stands, Listowel leads Waterloo and Stratford by one point with Elmira one point behind them. Things could get complicated at the top of the standings by night's end, but one thing is for sure: these games will possess a playoff atmosphere. In Stratford, where the Allman Arena crowd can dictate the outcome of a game, the Warriors will be looking to beat Elmira for the fourth straight time this season. Two of the previous three wins came in overtime, setting up another game that is sure to be tightly contested. Stratford is 8-2-1 at home this season while Elmira is 5-2-2 on the road. 

Over in Listowel, the Cyclones struggled last weekend but will be happy to be home, where they boast a 7-0-3 record, the only Midwest team to have not lost at home in regulation yet. The Siskins have struggled on the road as of late, with five of their six regulation losses this season coming away from home. Waterloo has gotten the best of Listowel so far this season, winning twice and losing once, although one of those wins came in overtime in the first game of the season for both teams. Expect lots of goals in this one, as both sides have heavy attacks. Listowel's Holdyn Lansink is tied for the GOJHL lead in points with 50 in 22 games, while teammate Chayse Herrfort is tied for sixth with 36. Not far behind is a trio of Siskins scorers, as Alex Lycett, Sam Cherry, and Sam Spaedt are all tied for ninth in the league with 32 points. Take the over in this one!

There is a short turnaround for Elmira, which visits Brantford on Saturday night, while the Cambridge Redhawks host the Kitchener Dutchmen. On a busy Sunday, Waterloo hosts Brampton, Stratford goes to Listowel, Cambridge plays in Brantford and Elmira rounds out its weekend at home against Kitchener.