Listowel's Chayse Herrfort (left) and Waterloo's Sam Spaedt both celebrate goals in their respective GOJHL playoff series. (Photos by Censational Photography and FS Fotos)

Listowel and Waterloo jump out to leads in GOJHL semi-finals

When the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League semi-finals began last Friday, the four teams remaining from the Midwest Conference - Listowel, Stratford, Waterloo and Kitchener - all knew that it would be a wild ride to the finish line. Through the first weekend of games, each series has offered a little bit of everything.

(1) Listowel Cyclones vs (4) Kitchener Dutchmen

As the top seed in the Midwest, Listowel came into this series as the clear favourite. The Cyclones dominated the season series with the Dutchmen and were coming off a clean four-game sweep of Brampton in round one, while Kitchener needed all seven games to dispose of Elmira. Game one on Friday night told the story of how this series looked on paper, which was bad news for the Dutchies.

The home side came out flying in the first period as Listowel outshot Kitchener 11-5 through the opening 20 minutes, getting goals from Chayse Herrfort and Steven Grant. Jeb Paulsen answered Grant's goal just 25 seconds later, and Kitchener salvaged a 2-1 deficit. The second frame was all Listowel as three consecutive Dutchmen penalties gave the Cyclones' lethal powerplay a chance to work. Work it did, as Darcy Winkler restored Listowel's two-goal lead midway through the period before Hayden Coulter made it 4-1 55 seconds later, and Midwest leading-scorer Holdyn Lansink soon joined the party with a powerplay tally of his own. Kitchener showed life in a chippy third period, but Trent Verbeek got the lone goal for Listowel and the Cycs cruised to a 6-1 win.

In game two on Sunday afternoon, Kitchener returned home feeling the pressure to hold serve and send the series back to Listowel tied. The teams played to a scoreless first period, trading chances without either being able to break the seal. The deadlock was lifted early in the second period though, as Jonah White scored five minutes in for Listowel, however Kitchener answered right back with Drayton Duckett getting his third of the playoffs to tie the game. Things began to unravel for Kitchener less than 10 minutes later, as its leading scorer Sean Kawalec was given a game misconduct for checking from behind, followed by Duckett earning a 10-minute misconduct on the same play. The Cyclones cashed in on the powerplay again when Harlen VanWynsberhe converted a point shot from Lansink and Herrfort, giving Listowel the 2-1 lead. Without its biggest offensive weapon, Kitchener could not find the tying goal and Listowel held on in a scoreless third to take the 2-0 series lead. Evan Morrison made 29 saves for the Cycs while Lucas Patton bounced back with a 25 save effort for Kitchener.

The series now shifts back to Listowel giving the Cyclones a chance to take a stranglehold on home ice. Game 3 goes tonight at 7:30 pm at Steve Kerr Arena.

(2) Stratford Warriors vs (3) Waterloo Siskins

This series began with no clear-cut favourite to win, as the teams were separated by just one point when the regular season ended, with Stratford earning home ice because of it. The season series was only won by one game, 4-3 for Stratford, so the Warriors held the statistical edge. Anything can happen in the playoffs, though, and Waterloo was out to prove that in game one on Friday. 

The Warriors came out flying, throwing everything but the kitchen sink at Waterloo's rookie goaltender Matt Onuska, but he handled all 17 shots he faced in the opening period. His steadiness allowed the visitors to open the scoring as Winston Cestnick continued his strong playoffs, scoring his fifth of the postseason to give Waterloo the 1-0 lead. The home side would answer midway through the second, with Corson Seales scoring on the powerplay to tie the game. The stalemate was short lived though, as a Stratford slashing penalty opened the door for Alex Lycett to score a powerplay marker of his own, giving the lead back to the Siskins. From there it was all Onuska, holding off the Warriors on three straight powerplays and stopping 41 shots in total to steal the 2-1 win. 

Back on home ice in game two, Waterloo had a chance to go up 2-0 in the series. While game one was a goaltender's dual, game two was anything but. Both offenses, which were largely bottled up in the opener, broke through to the tune of four goals in the first period, two by each side. Curtis Rawn excited the home crowd scoring 26 seconds into the game, but Stratford's Tyson Kielt scored minutes later. Warriors captain Sean Ross then gave the visitors the lead, only to be answered by Cestnick to pull Waterloo even. Special teams became the story of the game in a wild second period. Cestnick got his third of the series early in the second period, scoring on a shorthanded rush, before teammates Jeff Schrattner and Tyler Dam each scored on the powerplay, giving Waterloo a 5-2 lead. Nick Jung got one back for the Warriors on another powerplay, but the Siskins scored twice more - once on the man advantage - to lead 7-3 after 40 minutes. That was the end of Zack Weir's night in goal for Stratford. The Warriors made it interesting scoring twice in the third, but a Sam Cherry empty net goal with just over a minute to play sealed it, and Waterloo won 8-5. Machus Turner replaced Onuska in the Waterloo crease after Stratford scored its fourth goal, and the young goaltender did not return to the game. 

The Warriors returned home to the friendly confines of Allman Arena for Game 3, and with a new opposing goalie starting, knew they needed to get back into the series. Stratford's powerplay struck midway through the first as Kameron Shearer opened the scoring, and Evan Dowd extended the lead to two a few minutes later. The Warriors kept coming in the second as Mitchell Casey scored a minute in before Ross converted on a 5-on-3 powerplay to bring the lead to 4-0. After Curtis Rawn broke the shutout for Waterloo on a powerplay, the teams reached their boiling points. Stratford's Alex Grant and Waterloo's Alex Lycett dropped the gloves for a spirited tilt that seemed to benefit the Siskins, as Joseph Serpa scored late in the period cutting the deficit to two heading into the third. Serpa's night ended shortly after though, as the young forward was tossed for a check from behind. Ross added two more goals for Stratford and the Warriors got on the board in the series with a 6-3 victory.

Game 4 goes tomorrow night at the Rec Complex in Waterloo at 7:30 pm. The Siskins can push the Warriors to the brink of elimination with a home win.