Saturday, March 16, 2013

2013 OHL Cup Day 4 Recaps

Press Release

OHL Cup round-robin action wrapped up on Friday at the Hershey Centre in Mississauga with 12 games on the schedule.

The four Quarter-Final Matchups are set and will be played as follows:

Saturday March 16:
10:00 a.m. Toronto Jr. Canadiens (1st place D3) vs. York Simcoe Express (2nd place D2) - Rink 2
10:30 a.m. Halton Hurricanes (1st place D2) vs. Oakville Rangers (2nd place D3) - Rink 1
11:45 a.m. Elgin Middlesex Chiefs (1st place D4) vs. Toronto Marlboros (2nd place D1) - Rink 2
12:15 p.m. Barrie Jr. Colts (1st place D1) vs. TPH Thunder (2nd place D4) - Rink 1
JD Falconer of the Barrie Jr. Colts finished the round-robin first in scoring with 10 goals and three assists for 13 points in four games, ahead of Travis Konecny of the Elgin Middlesex Chiefs who scored three goals and eight assists for 11 points in four games.

Day 4 Results:
Game 40: TPH Thunder 6 (3-1-0) vs. Toronto Red Wings 2 (0-4-0)
By Rob Benneian
The TPH Thunder opened up a three goal lead on the Toronto Red Wings and never looked back, cruising to a 6-2 victory.

The Red Wings had been eliminated from playoff contention earlier in the day with a loss to Elgin Middlesex and the Thunder had already clinched their post-season berth so the team’s were only playing for bragging rights.

TPH was lead in this contest by two goal, one assist performances from Brendan Van Sweden and Austin Alger. Josh Wilkins also contributed a goal and an assist.

“We’re not gonna take a night off,” said Wilkins. “That’s just not what our mindset is. We’re going to keep playing hard.”

Matthieu Pineo and William Reilly tallied for the Red Wings, who finished the tournament 0-0-4. Reilly led the Wings, scoring two of their five goals in the tournament.

Game Summary


Game 39: Halton Hurricanes 1 (2-0-2) vs. Mississauga Rebels 1 (2-1-1)
By Mark McKelvie

An incredible stop at the buzzer of overtime secured a tie with the Mississauga Rebels and a spot for the Halton Hurricanes in the quarter-finals.

The Hurricanes and the Rebels entered their final round-robin game both knowing what they need to do in order to advance to Saturday.

Mississauaga needed a win to push them through into the quarter-finals. Halton was one point ahead of the Rebels in the standings meaning Halton could win or tie and advance.

The two teams came out of the gate playing as you would expect in a win or go home contest, lots of speed and physical play. The Hurricanes drew first blood only 0:45 seconds into the game as Aleks Rapp scored his second of the tournament.  The tempo of the game seemed to increase throughout.

In the second, Rebels forward Ethan Wiseman scored a late period powerplay goal to tie the game 1-1 heading for the third period.

The Rebels would go to the powerplay for a five on three in the third but Halton’s penalty killers did an excellent job blocking shots and goaltender Michael McNiven stood tall in the goal.

With the score tied after three periods each team entered their second overtime of the tournament.

It was quite evident in overtime the Hurricanes were playing for the tie, while the Rebels came with everything they had controlling most of the play in the overtime period.

With just over a minute remaining in the extra frame, the Rebels pulled the goaltender needing the win. The Rebels got chances but couldn’t bury any of them. A final chance came on a cross crease pass with a Rebels’ forward getting a shot off only to be denied by the stick of a diving McNiven right at the buzzer to save the tie for the Hurricanes.

“That was a very intense from start to finish,” said McNiven post game. “When we got a quick goal I got confident. They scored one but it didn’t affect me and we got it to overtime, got the tie and now on to tomorrow. It feels great.”

The Hurricanes with the tie finish first in their division with a record of 2-0-2. McNiven was in net for both ties and says he is feeling great in goal.

“Right back from the SCTA’s until now I think I’ve been playing really solid.”

The Rebels end the tournament with a record of 2-1-1. The leading scorer for the Rebels in the tournament was Christian Rajic and Jacob Hayhurst with four points each.

The Hurricanes leading scorer in round-robin play was Chris Klack with six points and Matthew Kreis with five.

The Hurricanes are now set to face their league rival the Oakville Rangers in the quarter-finals Saturday.
Game Summary


Game 38: Toronto Jr. Canadiens 2 (3-1-0) vs. Huron Perth Lakers 1 (1-2-1)
By Rob Benneian
With a playoff berth at stake, the Toronto Jr. Canadiens defeated the Huron Perth Lakers 2-1.

The game was highlighted by standout performances by both goaltenders, Huron Perth’s Ben Larder and Toronto’s Izzy Benigno.

The victory gives Toronto the top seed in Division 2, with the OMHA champion Oakville Rangers, who clinched a spot earlier in the day, taking the second spot.

“They poured everything into the game and I’m just so proud of their effort,” said Jr. Canadiens head coach Dave D’Ammizio.

Mark Rozanov scored the game-winner, a top shelf snipe, just under four minutes into the third period. Toronto defenceman Zachary Wilkie opened the scoring less than two minutes into the game and Cullen Mercer answered before the end of the first period for the Lakers.

Mercer lead the Lakers offensively in the 2013 OHL Cup, picking up three goals and two assists for five points. Huron Perth finishes with a 1-2-1 record.

Game Summary


Game 37: Toronto Marlboros 3 (3-1-0) vs. Eastern Ontario Wild 1 (0-3-1)
By Mark McKelvie

The Toronto Marlboros defeated the Eastern Ontario Wild 3-1 to finish off round-robin play with a 3-1 record.

With playoff scenarios already decided in Division 1, the Marlboros were guaranteed a spot in the playoffs while the Wild had one last opportunity to pick up a victory at the 2013 OHL Cup.

The Marlboros got out to a 1-0 lead at 8:41 of the first period when Mitchell Stephens scored. The Marlboros increased their lead at the start of the second period with Ryan Hunt scoring his third goal of the tournament. Jeremy McFarlane did get the Wild on the board with less than five minutes remaining in the second as he buried a powerplay goal.

The McFarlane goal would be all the Wild could get past Marlboros’ goaltender Tyler Richardson. Dylan Strome added a goal early in the third period to secure the win.

“We still had to go in there and play hard and give it our all,” said Marlboros’ defencemen Joshua Defarais about playing in a game that had no implications on the standings. “Towards the end when we had the lead we just conserved a bit of energy for our big game tomorrow.”

Defarais took home player of the game for the Marlboros.

The Marlboros finished second in Division 1 behind Barrie who went undefeated. The second place finish moves the Marlboros onto the playoff round with an opportunity to give the organization back-to-back OHL Cup championships and four championships in the last five years.

“We got the team to win we just got to work together but there are a lot of great teams in this tournament so hopefully the bounces go our way.” said Defarais.

Leading the Marlboros’ in scoring during round-robin play was GTHL Player of the Year Dylan Strome who had four goals and three assists in four games.

The Wild finish the tournament 0-3-1. Leading them in scoring was Jeremy McFarlane and Martin Frechette with two points each.
Game Summary


Game 36: Southern Tier Admirals 7 (2-2-0) vs. Whitby Wildcats 2 (1-3-0)
By Rob Benneian
The Southern Tier Admirals and Whitby Wildcats hooked up in a lively game between two teams with nothing to lose, with Southern Tier coming out on top by a score of 7-2.

The two teams had already been eliminated from playoff contention but with bragging rights on the line neither wanted to concede an inch. It made for a fierce battle of a hockey game.

Southern Tier was led offensively by Spencer Fox’s two goals and five assists, including four points in their tournament-ending victory.

“We stuck to the system and buried our chances this time,” Fox said. “I think our team got noticed pretty good this week.”

Whitby’s leading scorers for the tournament were Nathan Dion and William Scott. Both scored in the final game, giving them both two goals and two assists in the tournament.
Game Summary


Game 35: Barrie Jr. Colts 7 (4-0-0) vs. NOHA All-Stars 2 (2-2-0)
By Mark McKelvie

JD Falconer had a game he won’t forget scoring four times to help his Barrie Colts defeat the NOHA All-Stars 7-2.
The Colts victory secures first place in their division as they finished round-robin play undefeated.

JD Falconer led the way with four goals and an assist to give him ten goals and three assists in four games. With the five point performance Falconer moves ahead of Elgin-Middlesex forward Travis Konecny for top scorer in the tournament.

“Everything is clicking, the boys are getting me the puck and the bounces are just going my way,” said Falconer after the game. “The puck is hitting the back of the net and it feels good.”

Andrew Ceolin, Austin Gerhart and Steven Pickard contributed for the Colts other three goals.

As for NOHA, Blake Speers got his second of the tournament a minute into the game to put NOHA ahead. Barrie however, scored five in a row before Matthew Caruso got his third of the tournament to cut Barrie’s lead to 5-2 before the Colts added two more.

Falconer says the strong showing in round-robin play was exactly what the team was hoping for.

“Going undefeated was our goal from the start. We got our big win in the first game and it just kept on going from there.”

Barrie now advances to the quarter-finals on Saturday morning.

With the loss NOHA’s tournament comes to end with a record of 2-2. The NOHA All-Stars were led in scoring by Blake Speers who had two goals and four assists for six points in four games. Matthew Caruso and Cameron Lizotte tied for second in scoring with four points each.
Game Summary


Game 34: Waterloo Wolves 3 (1-3-0) vs. York Simcoe Express 1 (2-1-1)
By Rob Benneian
The Waterloo Wolves closed their 2013 OHL Cup on a high note, picking up their first victory 3-1 over the York Simcoe Express and throwing a wrench into the Division 2 playoff picture.

“That was our message to them, saying ‘they have something to play for and we don’t, but we can be the spoiler.’” said Wolves head coach Shawn Dietrich. “There’s no better way, to end our year with a win and maybe end their year with a loss. We used that as motivation for sure.”

Despite the loss, York Simcoe will still advance to the playoff round, joined by the winner of the game between the Halton Hurricanes and Mississauga Rebels tonight.

If Halton loses, they would be tied in points, total wins and head-to-head record with the Express. However, York Simcoe advances due to a better goal differential percentage.

A tie between Halton and Mississauga would eliminate the Rebels, as they would have five points and lost their match with York Simcoe. A victory by Mississauga would allow them to vault over York Simcoe for the first seed in the division.

Had Waterloo managed to win by a greater margin, the picture would have been even murkier: Halton could have still overtaken York Simcoe for the second seed in a loss to Mississauga, depending on the goal differential.

This all sets up for a very compelling battle between the Rebels and Hurricanes tonight with plenty on the line for both teams.

Game Summary


Game 33: Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs 6 (4-0-0) vs. Toronto Red Wings 1 (0-3-0)
By Mark McKelvie

The Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs defeated the Toronto Red Wings 6-1 to become the first team to go undefeated in round-robin play at this year’s tournament.

From start to finish the Chiefs took it to the Red Wings. Hayden Broomhead had two goals to give him four in the tournament while Travis Konecny had a goal and assist which puts him first in tournament scoring with eleven points.

“We just tried to keep it simple and play how our coaches taught us.” said Broomhead following the victory.

Evan DeBrouwer was between the pipes for the Chiefs giving him his second victory of the tournament.

The Chiefs outscored their opponents 20-6 over four games.

After a going 4-0 in round-robin play the Chiefs know it’s now time for them to focus on making a run in the playoff rounds.

“We got to forget about the round-robin, a new tournament is starting and we just got to bring our game and hopefully we can do well.” said Broomhead.

Leading behind Konecny in scoring for the Chiefs during round-robin play was Lawson Crouse who had six points in four games.

The Toronto Red Wings now go into their last round-robin game later today against the TPH Thunder looking for their first victory of the tournament.
Game Summary


Game 32: Mississauga Rebels 4 (2-1-0) vs. Ottawa Senators 3 (1-3-0) OT
By Rob Benneian
The Mississauga Rebels staved off elimination with a dramatic 4-3 overtime victory over the Ottawa Senators.

The win keeps their playoff hopes alive pending the outcome of their game against the Halton Hurricanes tonight and the result of the game between York Simcoe and Waterloo.

Ottawa took an early lead on a power play goal by Matt Avery before Mississauga replied with a power play goal of their own, off the stick of Patrick Fellows.

The Senators would retake the lead when captain Kristopher Myllari found twine, but Mississauga again had the answer as Ethan Wiseman tipped one home.

The Rebels grabbed their first lead of the day when Ashur Elliot scored but the seesaw battle continued when Ty Power evened things up at three goals apiece.

This set the stage for Christian Rajic’s dramatic OT winner just 12 seconds into the extra frame. Rajic also assisted on Elliot’s second period goal and has scored in all three Rebels games.

“The puck just bounces to me in the right time and I’m just always there,” Rajic said. “I think I’m getting lucky most of the time but I guess it’s good to be lucky.”

Dalton Ewing registered the win for Mississauga, his second of the tournament after shutting out Waterloo on Day 1.

The ODMHA champion Senators, who finished the tournament with a 1-3-0 record, were led offensively by the five assists of forward Ian Johnston.

Game Summary


Game 31: Oakville Rangers 3 (2-1-1) vs. Toronto Jr. Canadiens 0 (2-1-0)
By Mark McKelvie

The Oakville Rangers have clinched a playoff berth in the OHL Cup with Adrian Clark backstopping them to a 3-0 shutout victory over the Toronto Jr. Canadiens.

The Rangers came into their final round-robin game with a record of 1-1-1 and needing a big effort to defeat the Toronto Jr. Canadiens who sat first in the division at 2-0.

The Rangers flew out of the gate like a team on a mission and put in a full three period effort for the victory.

All three Oakville goal scorers picked up their first goals of the tournament. Adam Craievich had the first goal on a powerplay in the first which stood as the only goal until Brett McKenzie scored at the 3:35 mark of the third. Only 1:24 later, Mark Bzowey would come down the left wing and put a slapshot through Jr. Canadiens goalie Izzy Benigno to seal the victory for the Rangers.

“The defence was really good and cleared all the rebounds away,” said Clark with a big grin on his face as he picked up his first win of the tournament with the shutout performance. “The guys do a great job keeping them to the outside and letting me have the easy shots to make the saves.”

Oakville now has five points after the round-robin play and sits first in their division. The two teams right behind them are the Toronto Jr. Canadiens and Huron Perth Lakers who will square off later this afternoon.

At this time, the Jr. Canadiens have four points, while Huron Perth has three points with the winner advancing to playoffs.

Game Summary


Game 30: Toronto Marlboros 4 (2-1-0) vs. Elite Hockey 1 (1-3-0)
By Rob Benneian
The Toronto Marlies moved one step closer in their bid to secure an OHL Cup playoff berth with a 4-1 victory over the Elite Hockey Group.

Jack Webb opened the scoring as the Marlboros built a three-goal lead before the five-minute mark of the second period. Jeremy Bracco countered for Elite Hockey just 27 seconds after Noah Robinson scored to make it 3-0. The goal was Bracco’s sixth of the tournament, finishing the OHL Cup with eight points in four games.

“Bracco can really fly with the puck,” said Marlboros co-captain Dylan Strome. “We just stuck with him. He got a nice goal but I think we maintained him really well.”

Strome potted an empty net goal during the final minute with Elite goaltender Josh Sarlo pulled for an extra attacker. Elite had a 6-on-3 advantage for the final 1:19 of the game, but Marlboros goaltender Tyler Richardson was outstanding in the victory.

“We know we’re capable of beating any team in this tournament,” Strome said. “When we’re playing as a team we’re tough to beat.”

The Marlboros will face the 0-2-1 Eastern Ontario Wild in each team’s final game of the round robin.
Game Summary

Game 29: Central Ontario Wolves 5 (2-2-0) vs. Thunder Bay Kings (1-3-0) 4 OT
By Mark McKelvie

The Central Ontario Wolves scored a rare empty net goal in overtime to defeat the Thunder Bay Kings 5-4.

Both teams entered their final round-robin game with a 1-2 record and needing to win to hold onto a small chance of making it to the playoff round.

Lucas Clark potted his second goal of the tournament on a five on three powerplay with 6:44 remaining in the third period to put the Wolves ahead 4-3.

However, the Kings would tie the game with less than two minutes remaining as Laine McKay got his second of the tournament from in the slot to send things to overtime.

In overtime, the Kings would hit the post with a shot and watch the puck slide across the goal line before being cleared out by the Wolves. The Kings coaches called the officials over at the next stoppage insisting the puck had crossed the line.

“We thought we got one there, our captain (Zach Grzelewski) thought he put one in but I guess he didn’t.” said Kings head coach Ian Swalucynski following the game.

The Kings would gain the attacking zone late in overtime and pulled goaltender Bradley Hampton as a tie and one point was no good for any chance of advancing.

The Kings would lose control of the puck and Jake Bricknell fired a shot from his own end into the empty cage to win it for the Wolves.

“We needed the win and we needed to get to four points. We still needed some help but we had to do our part to try and get the win.” said Swalucynski.

The Wolves now have a small chance of advancing riding on the results of the division leading Toronto Jr. Canadiens two games on Friday.

For the Kings, HNO Player of the Year Zachary Grzelewski had two goals in the loss but finished the tournament as the Kings top scorer with three goals and an assist.

As for the Wolves, defencemen Josh Allan finished as their top scorer for the round-robin with four points.
Game Summary


 (Nathan can be reached at nathanfournier@mainehockeyjournal.com)

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