The Stratford Warriors celebrate scoring a goal on Friday night.

Warriors climb into first place with four-point weekend

For the first time this season, a team not named the Listowel Cyclones or Waterloo Siskins owns sole possession of top spot in the Great Ontario Junior Hockey League's Midwestern Conference. That team is the Stratford Warriors.

It's been a slow climb for the Warriors but they have never been out of the top four, staying in the mix with big wins and timely points. This weekend was no different. Stratford began the weekend by hosting the Cambridge Redhawks on Friday night and doubling them up for a 4-2 win. Sean Ross led the way with a goal and an assist while Stratford held Cambridge to under 10 shots in each period. The Warriors then found themselves in a thriller on Saturday evening in Kitchener, locked in a deadlock with the Dutchmen after regulation time. The teams combined for five goals in the second period including three from Stratford, leading to a 3-3 deadlock heading into overtime. After the 4-on-4 period solved nothing, Jeb Paulson ended the second OT period for Kitchener with just 47 seconds remaining to give the Dutchies the extra point, 4-3. It was a similar story for Stratford on Sunday, visiting the Redhawks and again finding themselves tied after 60 minutes. After the Warriors chased Redhawks starter Nicholas Dicks early in the first, Cambridge settled in and took the lead midway through the second frame. Stratford would answer with two goals while Devyn Oprana scored his second of the game for Cambridge, leading to a 4-4 tie after regulation. In overtime, Hugh Anderson took a goaltender interference penalty putting Cambridge on the powerplay, where Mark Cooper would convert on a one-timer from the point to give the Redhawks the win, 5-4. Tanner Wickware was excellent in relief, stopping 28 of 30 shots for the win.

The four points pushed Stratford ahead of Listowel and Waterloo and into first place for the first time this season. Listowel also had a productive weekend, beating Brantford, Cambridge and Waterloo to leapfrog the Siskins for second place. Waterloo dropped to fourth with a winless weekend, also losing to Elmira on Saturday night opening the door for the Sugar Kings to move into third. The top four teams remain separated by only four points, with Stratford at 40, Listowel at 39, Elmira at 37 and Waterloo right behind at 36 points.