Alliston ties series with Penetang – Championship series being played at a blistering pace

March 13, 2014 · 0 Comments

You can tell this is a championship series between two top teams.

The final series between the Alliston Hornets and Penetang Kings for the Georgian Mid Ontario Junior C Hockey League championship is producing some fast paced no holds barred hockey – and the fans love it.

Over 600 of them packed into the New Tecumseth Recreation Centre on Sunday night to watch game two of this epic battle between two teams that have had a healthy rivalry over the past several years.

The Kings led the series after game one after taking a one goal lead in the second period.

The game was tied at two after the first period.

With no scoring in the final twenty minutes, Penetang left the ice with the win and a jump on the series.

That lead evaporated on Sunday (Mar. 9) when game two took place in Alliston.

This time the Hornets got the jump with three fast goals in the first period from Mark O’Donnell, Jacob Tuck – on a powerplay – and a third from Tanner Dockerty.

The Kings responded with two goals to end the period and it was a 3–2 game going into the second frame.

A scoreless second period led to the final twenty minutes.

A hooking penalty called against Penetang set the Hornets up for the insurance marker when Tuck got his second of the game on the powerplay.

“We controlled the first ten minutes and then we controlled the second ten minutes of the second period, and I was happy with the third,” Is how Hornets head coach Clay Birkett assessed Sunday’s game. “We got two powerplays in total and we scored on both.”

Both teams notched eight minutes in minor penalties for the game.

The game in Alliston, Birkett said, was faster paced than game one in Penetang.

“It was a lot quicker. That small rink up there is tough to play. It may look quicker up there but everything’s so close, so compact, everybody’s on top of each other. Here it was a good quick game.”

Going into this series, no one thought either team would have an edge.

At the end of the regular season, the Kings finished in first place in the GMOHL with a 30-10 record that included two shoot-out losses and two overtime losses – they ended with 64 points.

The Hornets were close behind with 61 points and a 30–10 record that included one shoot-out loss.

Penetang easily won their quarter-final series in lopsided match with Midland that ended in an embarrassing four game sweep that saw the Kings outscore the Flyers 44–6.

The Kings earned the right to go to the final series after dispatching the Schomberg Cougars in six games in the semi-final round.

The Hornets wound up in the final after a four game sweep over the Fergus Devils in the quarter-final round and another sweep over the Stayner Siskins in the semi-final series.

Game three of the series was scheduled for Tuesday night (Mar. 11) in Alliston with results coming after press time.

Getting deeper in the series, Birkett said the Hornets have to take it up a notch as it progresses.

“We’ve got to come out harder. We have to be better than we were in game one and better than we were in game two. They’re (Penetang) quick, they’re strong. You have two pretty close hockey teams that play a lot of the same style. I think our goal tending was better than theirs tonight, and that’s what made the difference.”

Hornets goalie Tyler Brindle has been in net for both series games.

Game four of the series is slated for March 12, in Penetang.

Game five is also scheduled to get underway in Penetang on Friday, March 14.

The series will return to Alliston, if necessary, on Sunday, March 16.

The puck drop for that game is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. at the New Tecumseth Recreation Centre.

By Brian Lockhart