Sports

Hornets gear up for playoffs, only took one loss during regular season

February 13, 2025   ·   0 Comments

By Brian Lockhart

With three games left on the regular season schedule, the Alliston Hornets will be charging full speed ahead into playoff mode.

The Hornets played two games this past week, with three more scheduled over four days to end the regular season.

On Wednesday, Feb. 5, the Allison squad hosted the Penetang Kings at the New Tecusmeth Recreation Centre for a mid-week game.

Nick Lamont scored the only first-period goal.

Cole Turcotte and Noah Cochrane both scored in the second period to make it a 3-0 game.

The Kings notched one early in the third period.

Turcotte got his second of the game late in the final frame to make it a 4-1 win for the Hornets.

The regular Friday home night game against the Muskoka Bears was cancelled due to weather, and the game was moved to Saturday at the last minute. The switch was so sudden referees had to be called to come and take care of the game, delaying the start by 45 minutes.

This was a payback game for the Alliston team. The last time they met the Bears, the Muskoka team gave the Hornets their only loss of the season.

The Hornets were leading 4-0 at the end of the first period on goals from Nick Lamont, Mitch Harding, Ben Smith and Cole Turcotte.

Lamont got his second of the night early in the second period.

Jax Bellwood and Mark Coish got second-period markers.

Muskoka managed to hit the back of the Alliston net twice in the second period.

Duncan Grube finished off the night with the only goal in the third period to give Alliston the 8-2 win.

The Hornets will be meeting the Bears in the first round of the division playoffs.

“With 35 wins and a shoot-out loss to them, (Bears) we definitely didn’t forget about it going into this game,” said Hornets head coach Jacob Bauchman after Saturday’s win. We’re spending more time off ice with video. We’re not getting much practice time because we have to play six games over eight days. We’re in full-speed playoff mode.”

Bauchman said the team won’t let up on the gas when they meet Muskoka in the first round.

“Playoff mode is a totally different animal,” he said. “They’re going to bring in a little more in the playoffs so we’ve got to make sure that we’re sharp and be ready to play the top team, bottom team, middle of the pack team, it doesn’t matter. We have to make sure we prepare.”

The Hornets will play Huntsville on Feb. 11, then travel to Orillia to meet the Terriers on Feb. 12. 

They will be back on home ice on Friday, Feb. 14, to host the Innisfil Spartans.

Game time is 7:30 p.m.

Readers Comments (0)