***June 19 & 20th, 2009 Anniversary
Information-Go To Events***
Cycs Win 6-5 O.T. Thriller Over
Grey's
Last night in Owen Sound, the fans were treated to a great
game that saw the home team take the lead 4 different times.
Although the Cyclones out shot the Grey's by over double with
a 59-26 count, Owen Sound scored 5 goals on their
opportunities and made this a very entertaining game. In
the first period, it was Owen Sound that would score the only
goal and they took this lead into the 2nd period.
Kyle Goss scored early in the 2nd as he was set up by Chris
Holmes. This lead didn't last long as Owen Sound took the lead
once more. Our newest Cyclone, Ari Lufshutz, scored his 1st
Cyclone goal to tie up the game and was assisted by Nick
Seiler and Eric McClure. The Grey's scored once again to
regain the lead as they then had a 3-2 advantage going into
the 3rd period.
The Cyclones came out hard in the 3rd period and scored the
next 2 goals. Chris Corbett scored the equalizing goal
assisted by Captain Shayne McClure. Tyler Egerdee then
put the Cylones in front for the 1st time in the game as he
was assisted by Eric & Shayne McClure. This lead wouldn't last
long as Owen Sound then tied it up again and went in front by
a 5-4 margin. The Cyclones continued to press and it was Tory
"Thunder" Fisher who tied things up before the end of
regulation. He was assisted by "The Big Man", Ari Lufshutz.
In overtime, something that hasn't happened all season
happened, THE CYCLONES WON IN OVERTIME...and the crowd went
wild. The overtime hero was rookie, Brett Catto, who scored
the unassisted winner. James Prigione earned the win for the
Cyclones as he went the distance.
A couple of huge games this weekend in this very tight
league. The Cycs host Kitchener on Friday night and then
travel to Cambridge on Saturday. Please come on out both
nights and cheer on the Cyclones.
Go Cyclones Go!!!
Cyclones Pluck Eagles 6-3
Due to inclement weather, Listowel’s Holiday
Season was extended into the first Friday of 2009. Before
sitting down to enjoy their annual Holiday Dinner, the
Cyclones team first set to work on the ice and feasted on the
Brantford Golden Eagles - emerging with a 6 to 3 win that
kicks off 2009 in fine style. The first 2009 rendition of the
Brantford bird was mostly feathers and not very well filled
out; as the Cyclones kept a lid on the powerful Golden Eagles
offence and uncorked some offence of their own. The Cyclones
played an all around strong team game as they unloaded 38
shots at Daryl Borden and went 1 for 3 on the power play;
while Brantford registered 34 shots on Josh “Godfather” Leis
and went 0 for 2 on the power play. This game had only five
minor penalties called and featured some terrific end to end
action.
The Cyclones got the all important first goal
of the game at 4:50 of the first period. Blue liners Joel
Bowman and Mike Villamere teamed up to lead a rush into the
Brantford zone and unload a point shot that was redirected by
Eric “Roadrunner” Deckers and into the open side of the net.
Other chances followed during the period but the Cyclones
could not capitalize. The Golden Eagles tied the game at 10:09
with a point shot from Jordan Ogilvie that drifted through
traffic; and then jumped ahead at 19:51 after a successful
Listowel penalty kill, when a failed clearing attempt was
intercepted and eventually converted by Mark Taylor. Shots on
goal were 13 for Listowel and 12 for Brantford.
The “Men in White” responded quickly in the
second period at the 0:23 mark. The Eagles turned over the
puck after the opening face-off and Tyler ”Rock” Egerdee and
Eric Deckers combined to spring Braedon Rigney loose towards
the Brantford goal. With “Cyclonic Speed and Smarts” the
“Singhampton Sniper” gave Daryl Borden the “how do you do?”
with a flurry of shifty moves and jammed the puck into the
back of the net…Wow!!!!!! This goal really got the Cyclones
revved up as they continued to work and continued to press
their way into the Brantford zone. On one such rush they
grabbed the lead at 5:08 - this time Eric “Roadrunner”
Deckers and Ari Lifshutz worked the puck into the zone and
caught the Brantford defenders backing up. Ari dished the puck
off to Shane “The Captain” Mc Clure who wired a sizzling shot
under the crossbar / glove side…and the crowd went wild !!!
Continued work inside the Brantford zone resulted in a penalty
and a Cyclone power play. Some good puck movement by Eric Mc
Clure and Shane Mc Clure opened up room for Tyler Egerdee off
to the side of the net; and with both time and space the
veteran d-man moved in and roofed a snap shot high past the
blocker side. The crowd roared with approval !!! 90 seconds
later the Golden Eagles answered back with some fireworks of
their own by starting a 3 on 1 break out, missing on the
initial chances, but with some second effort kept the puck
inside the zone and worked it to Ogilvie, who managed to get
behind Josh Leis and jam it in to close the Listowel lead to 4
-3. The Golden Eagles continued to press with some offensive
momentum of their own but and had some great chances on a
power play late in the period, but Josh Leis made a “Tokarski
– Type” glove save from close range to keep the Eagles at bay.
This save was huge because almost a minute after this penalty
was killed off, Joel Bowman and Brett Catto teamed up to send
Braedon Rigney loose for another rush into the Brantford zone.
From the top of the face off circle Braedon played hide and
seek with the puck and his stick blade before unleashing a
laser wrist shot that handcuffed Borden and sailed beyond the
reach of the blocker. The crowd went wild as the young gun
from Singhampton scored his second of the night and 11th
of the season. The shots on goal were 14 for Listowel and 13
for Brantford and reflected the end to end action that took
place all game long.
The
third period saw the Cyclones bear down as a team on their
defensive work and as a result they held the visitors to only
9 shots in the final twenty minutes of play, while managing to
direct 11 the other way. One of those 11 came in the form of
an unassisted goal by Eric ”Rico” Mc Clure at 14:01. A puck
handling miscue by the Brantford goal tender landed on the
stick of #9 who then calmly and coolly worked his way past the
sprawling Brantford defenders, bulging the twine for his 13th
of the season, and in so doing, cinched the Cyclones 18th
win of the season. Shortly after that goal a scrap ensued when
the Eagles‘ Luke Van Moerkerke locked up with Cyclone forward
Ari Lifshutz to exchange New Year’s tidings. This strategy
backfired on the visitor, as Ari was able to tag #13 with a
couple lunges before the pair tumbled onto the ice and were
then separated by the linsemen. The Cyclones were able to
round out the remaining 5:08 of the period without any further
incidents. GOOD WORK MEN!!!
The
next game for the Cyclones is Sunday 7:30 pm in Owen Sound
followed by their next Friday home game on January 9th
against the third place Kitchener Dutchmen. Every game is
important regardless of what the standings say so make your
way to the rink and no matter what you like to do – yell,
clap, jump, shout or cheer – just get down here!!! Keep It
Going Cyclones!!!!!
Cyclone Christmas Party-Friday
Jan. 2nd
A reminder for the Cyclone Players, Parents, Executive, and
Volunteers. This Friday night after the game vs. Brantford, we
will be having our annual pot-luck feast and party. Everyone
is welcome to join in on the fun for this event. It is
rumoured that Santa will be making an appearance. Might
be a great chance for young...or old hockey fans to get their
picture taken with their favourite Cyclone and Santa. If
anyone has any questions regarding the pot luck event, please
contact Don Annett at
donannett@hotmail.com.
Elmira 4, Cyclones 2
The Cyclones were overdosed with a
helping of Sugar as an aggressive Elmira squad registered 39
shots and held the Cyclones to just 29 shots and two goals on
a snowy Sunday in Elmira. The Men in Black just could not get
their offence on track during this game as the Sugar Kings
managed to keep the Cyclones to the outside and away from the
crease for most of the contest. When the Cyclones did jam the
net they were able to score but the Elmira fore check and
defensive work managed to keep these chances to a minimum. The
other factor in today’s game was the small handful power play
chances that Elmira was able to enjoy. The Cyclones “PK” unit
allowed only one “PP” goal – a fluky deflection off a defender
from a shot taken from the corner behind the goal line. More
importantly the penalties reduced the Cyclone’s ability to
generate enough offensive momentum towards the Elmira end.
Josh “Godfather” Leis had a strong game in the net as he was
tested early and often, but held his ground very well and did
what was needed to give his team a chance to win. The Cyclone
defence and forwards did a good job to withstand the Elmira
fore check but had trouble at times breaking out with the kind
of outlet pass that they wanted in order to catch the Sugar
Kings flat footed.
The first period featured a fast tempo
with end to end action but tight checking and a small handful
of scoring chances for each team. The territorial play favored
the Cyclones as they out shot their hosts by an 11 to 6
margin.
Elmira
got on the score board first in the second period at 1:06
after a successful Cyclone penalty kill. A point shot was
deflected up and over Josh Leis as the puck “knuckle balled”
its way into the net. A series of penalties marred the flow of
the second period and some scrambly back and forth 4 on 4 play
followed. Elmira scored their second goal at 9:21 on the power
play – using the cheese play mentioned earlier. The Cyclones
countered with a goal of their own at 15:21 after a power play
of their own expired. A Cyclone rush into the Elmira zone set
the Sugar Kings back on their heels as Nick Seiler picked up a
loose puck and fired a back hander that hit the cross bar and
bounced loose for Braedon Rigney to jam home during a goal
mouth scramble. The Cyclones continued to buzz the Elmira zone
for the remaining 4 ½ minutes of the period but could not find
the back of the net to tie the game. Elmira held an 18 to 10
shots advantage largely due to the power play time that they
enjoyed.
The third period was largely a tight
checking back and forth chess match with very few shots.
Elmira scored again at 15:03 after the
initial rush was broken up but a forward managed to break away
from his check and jam a centering pass in at the goal mouth.
A Listowel penalty helped delay the comeback plan until just
over one minute remained. An extra attacker was put into play
and a time out called with 56 seconds left and a face off in
the Elmira zone. This strategy paid off when the Captain,
Shane “Banger” McClure, stuffed in the puck after he and his
team mates buzzed the net. Eric Deckers and Eric McClure drew
assists. After the face off the Cyclones pulled Josh Leis for
an extra attacker again but the Sugar Kings grabbed the puck
and scored into the empty net.
The
Cyclones now will enjoy their Christmas break and get
themselves ready for the New Year and the final leg of the
Regular Season. Merry Christmas & Happy New Year Cyclone
Fans!!!!!!
Solid Cyclone Effort In 4-2 Win
Over Dutchmen
Another strong team effort by the
Cyclones propelled the squad to a 4- 2 road victory on Tuesday
night at the Kinsmen Arena. The Cyclones kept their game plan
simple and they focused on playing “Cyclonic” hockey; thus
keeping Kitchener’s offense off balance and off stride for
most of the game. Josh “Godfather” Leis turned in another
rock steady game between the pipes, getting his big pads and
his body in front of almost everything cast in his direction.
Around him, his Cyclone team mates worked hard - clearing the
way for their goaltender, battling for position, blocking
shots, pouncing on loose pucks, marking their checks and
making some good transitional plays. The Dutchmen tried to
physically out muscle the Men in Black; but the lads responded
with gifts in kind, refusing to be intimidated.
The first period opened with a flurry of
pressure by Kitchener in the opening 10 minutes or so. In
response, the Cyclones were able to focus on their defensive
set up, defend against the pressure and mount some offensive
moves of their own. Midway through the first period some
Cyclonic work around the Kitchener net motivated the Dutchmen
to exercise some after the whistle muscle and conversation. As
a reward for trying to score in the crease area, Braedon
Rigney was overwhelmed with the yuletide greetings of
McCaffrey, who was in turn showered with some Seasons’
Greetings from Brett Catto. This scene set the undertone for
the rest of game and it started an evening long trend for the
Dutchmen as they spent a fair bit of time in the penalty box.
For the most part, the latter half of the first period
featured some Cyclone power play chances, including a 5 on 3
stint, that failed to produce any tangible scoring plays.
Shots on goal were even at 7 apiece.
The second period began with another
flurry from the Dutchmen but again the Cyclones were prepared
to defend and launch an effective counterstrike. Another
Cyclone power play came and went very early on, as the lads
failed to connect for the opening goal. Kitchener cranked up
the intensity by upping their physical play. This seemed to
stir up and wake up the Cyclones as they responded with some
spit and vinegar of their own. The tempo of the game has now
quickened and it was the Cyclones who reaped the benefits. A
crisp cross ice feed from Braedon Rigney to Brett Catto was
redirected with a sweet one time slap shot, hard & low past
Morrison. Wily veteran blueliner Nick Seiler also assisted on
the play to help get the all important first goal at 7:43.
Following that goal, the Cyclones had 3 or 4 excellent breaks
to up their lead but could not capitalize. Chris Holmes and
Eric “Roadrunner” Deckers had skates their aflash and the puck
dancing on a string as they worked together on some energetic
rushes. At the other end Kitchener was buzzing the Cyclone
goal as Brendan Haefling and Kyle Goss each made some key
saves to help their goaltender out of a couple tight spots. In
the second half of the period things got rowdy again at both
ends of the ice, as the physical side of the game was
re-established and penalties were handed out to both teams.
The Cyclones finally converted on one of their numerous power
play chances at 17:52 when Tyler “Rock” Egerdee sifted into
the crease unmarked during a loose puck scramble and jammed
the disk past Morrison for a 2-0 lead. Ari Lifschutz and Chris
Corbett drew assists on the goal. Less than a minute later
Eric “Rico” Mc Clure found himself tangled up in a check from
behind penalty which brought an early end to his evening of
work. Before Eric could leave the ice, De Jong dropped in to
wrestle and do the rumba with #9, thus evening up the penalty
call and keeping it a 5 on 5 situation; instead of the
Kitchener power play that was about to unfold. Before the
second period ended, the home side did get into a power play
situation and managed to get on the board at 19:45. Hebebrand
drifted a shot through traffic and into the top corner to cut
the Cyclone advantage to 2-1. Shots on goal were 8 - 6 in
favor of the Cyclones.
The Cyclones saved the best for last as
they worked an almost flawless third period from start to
finish. Tory “Thunder” Fisher and Mitch Allen had their sights
set on a shorthanded marker; as did Holmes and Deckers during
a Cyclone penalty kill early on. Both teams squared off in an
on ice chess match of strike and counter strike as they traded
chances at both ends. On one such chance, Miles MacLean sped
down along the boards to the right of Morrison and unleashed a
hard slap shot from a sharp angle at the breadbasket of the
Kitchener goalie. The hard shot produced a rebound which
squirted loose in front of the net and onto the stick of the
hard charging Chris Corbett. The “Brussels Bullet’ beat his
man to the puck, and with a display of goal scorer’s finesse,
the sophmore forward swept the puck into the twine to produce
a 3-1 lead at the 8:46 mark. Cyclonic speed and hustle at its
finest....great work men!!! The Dutchmen pulled out all the
stops to try and get themselves back into the game but to a
man, every Cyclone player battled hard to put down the
Kitchener charge. Kitchener did manage to score another at
16:11 when a failed clearing attempt was converted after a
scramble play in the crease area. With 1:30 left and a face
off deep in Cyclone territory, the Dutchmen called time out
and put 6 attackers onto the ice. The Cyclones worked very
hard to keep the puck out of harm’s way and at 19:32 Mitch
Allen iced the game with his fifth of the year. With the game
beyond reach, a scrap broke out with 3 seconds left, as
Braedon “Rocky” Rigney manhandled Josh Sitko with some solid
uppercuts to the melon and a few deflecting off of the visor
as well.
With a hard earned victory and a very
much deserved two points in the bank the Cyclones improve
their record to 17 wins versus 10 losses and 7 extra time
losses. Their next challenge is Friday night against the first
place Brantford squad. The last game in Brantford was a dandy
and all indications suggest that this one will be as well. So
as advertised earlier lets fill the rink and cheer on the
team. CKNX 920 will be broadcasting the game over the airwaves
and remember to stop in upstairs for the “After the Storm
Festivities” as Jolly Saint ‘Nick will be also in the house.
Let’s Go Cyclones!!!!!!!!!!!
Cyclones Win 3rd Straight With 4-2
Victory Over Siskins
The
Cyclones put forward another terrific team effort on Sunday
night to shoot down the Waterloo Siskins by a 4 to 2 score to
secure their 16th win and at the same time hand
Waterloo only their second home ice defeat of the season. The
Men in Black made the most of their 26 shots on goal at Colin
Breen while holding the home squad to a miniscule 19 shots on
Josh “Godfather” Leis. The Cyclones were able to keep a lock
on the Siskins with some very solid positional and defensive
play - clogging shooting lanes, blocking passing lanes,
blocking shots and applying some determined back checking and
fore checking skills.
The
Cyclones put the pressure on the Siskins right from the
opening face off and generated some early scoring chances.
Later in the period some good speed and hustle on the wing by
Eric “Rico” Mc Clure resulted in a hooking call to the Siskins
and the Cyclones went work on their power play. The Cyclones
cashed in on that power play at 17:25. Chris Corbett worked
the puck over to Captain Shane “Banger” Mc Clure who let fly
with a point shot that bounced off the end boards, and onto
the stick of the Eric “Rico” Mc Clure who drilled it into the
back of the net. The Cyclones continued their efforts in the
Waterloo zone and produced another goal before the end of the
opening twenty minutes. The play started along the side boards
where Tory “Thunder” Fisher work diligently in the scrum of
players to get hold of the loose puck and work it across the
ice to Kyle Goss at the point. Kyle let fly with a low,
blistering laser shot towards the net, which found its way
onto the stick of Miles MacLean and deflected past Colin Breen
and across the goal line at 19:23. The Cyclones out shot the
Siskins by a 10 - 5 margin in the first period.
The
Siskins started the second period with improved energy than
the first period and were able to capitalize early at 2:24 of
the second period. A loose puck after a blocked shot was
grabbed by Matt Rostek and hammered past Josh Leis. The
Siskins continued to push with their new found surge of energy
but the Cyclones countered with some energy and offensive
rushes of their own during the period. Both teams traded
chances during the second period but no more goals were scored
until the third period. Shots on goal favored the Cyclones by
an 8 – 7 margin.
The
Siskins started the third period much the same way that they
started the second as they pressured the Cyclone end but the
Men in Black refused to give in and continued to do battle.
The Godfather made some huge saves and the Cyclone skaters
made some strong defensive moves to keep the score at 2 -1 but
at the 11:00 minute mark the Siskins drew even when Tanner
Pearson snapped a shot that just dribbled through and across
the line. The Siskins looked poised to try and pull ahead but
the Cyclones countered with some offense of their own. With
time winding down the tie score seemed to be a tough nut to
crack as Chris “Brussels Bullet” Corbett unleashed one his
patent explosive slap shots at Colin Breen; who bravely put
himself between the bullet and the net to keep the score
deadlocked. The Cyclones would not be denied as a couple of
minutes later Captain Shane “Banger” Mc Clure led an odd man
rush up ice, firing the puck past Breen to score the go ahead
goal and eventual game winner at 16:44. Eric Deckers drew one
assist on the play and newcomer Ari Lifschutz drew the other
for his first point in his first game as a Cyclone. Welcome
aboard Ari!!! The Siskins responded by adding an extra
attacker for a last dash hope to force overtime but their fate
was sealed as Brendan Haefling and Chris Corbett teamed up to
feed the puck up to Miles MacLean; who slipped the disk in
from long range to score his second of the game and ice the
Siskins.
The
Cyclone hockey scene now shifts to a Tuesday night game in
Kitchener, 7:00 pm at the Kinsmen Arena. Looking ahead to the
rest of the 2008 schedule, Friday night’s game features
Brantford (and a visit from Santa) then Sunday’s game is in
Elmira for a 2:00pm face off with the Sugar Kings. Every game
is an important two points; so Cyclone fans, you will want to
finish your Christmas shopping early, sit back, relax, and
enjoy some Cyclone hockey action. Let’s Go Cyclones!!!!!!!!!!!
Cyclones Edge Dominators 5-3
The
Cyclones put forward a balanced team effort and came out on
top with a 5 to 3 home ice win over Guelph Friday night. The
home squad dominated the first two periods of play and played
even in the third to secure their 15th victory of
the season. Fresh from his Midwest All Star game appearance
earlier in the week, Josh “Godfather” Leis turned aside 26 of
29 Guelph shots and made some key saves at key times to help
keep his team on top. Other Cyclone All-Stars also made their
mark as the game progressed.
The
Cyclones drew first blood early on at 5:24 of the first with a
power play goal from Braeden Rigney. A point shot from “The
Captain” was blocked by a Guelph stick but Braeden quickly
turned on the loose puck and ripped it high over the blocker
of Brendan Gorecki. The second assist on the play was drawn by
Eric “Rico” McClure, who put forward another solid two way
effort in this game, thus showing his “All Star” form also.
Guelph answered back at 7:54 when they caught the Cyclones
running around a bit in their own zone and slipped the loose
puck in past a sprawling Josh Leis. After a good power play
series midway through the first period, the Cyclones followed
through with an even strength goal at 11:16 from Miles Maclean.
Some good work in the corner by Brett Catto set up Miles in
the slot who slipped his shot through the legs for a 2 – 1
lead. The Cyclones held a decisive 16 to 8 shots advantage and
showed some determined hustle, energy and initiative during
the opening 20 minutes.
The
second period started on a sour note for the Cyclone lads as
Guelph scored 7 seconds in on a bad giveaway, but the team
continued to battle away and at the 7:32 mark they pulled
ahead to stay. Some very industrious and “Cyclonic” work by
Mitch Allen and Eric Deckers created a neutral zone turn over
feed to Chris Holmes; who streaked into the zone, to the right
of the goal, and unleashed a hard rising wrist shot over the
blocker and into the twine. This came minutes after Josh Leis
had made some solid saves at the opposite end during back to
back Cyclone penalties, to keep Guelph from taking the lead
and grabbing the momentum. The Cyclones added their second
power play goal of the evening at 13:38 to take a 4 – 2 lead.
“The Captain” started the play from his own zone with a long,
crisp, tape to tape pass to Braeden Rigney; who then carried
the puck into the zone. Once inside the zone, Rigney and the
“The Captain” worked a nice give and go, and Braeden let loose
with a hard shot that squirted loose onto the stick of Chris
Corbett. The “Brussels Bullet” showed his “All Star” technique
as he corralled the loose puck and quickly ripped it into the
yawning cage. The Cyclones outshot Guelph 13 to 8 in the
second 20 minutes.
The
third period got somewhat interesting early on as the Cyclones
found themselves 2 men short which gave Guelph a golden
opportunity to tie the game up. The Dominators managed to
score only once more at 5:58 but “Godfather” Leis and the
Cyclones were able to fend off the visitors and maintain their
lead. Another Cyclone penalty was successfully killed off as
Eric Deckers and Mitch Allen put on a PK clinic which kept the
Dominators from breaking out and putting on anymore pressure
at the other end. The Cyclones continued to rush the zone with
some good scoring chances and gritty work along the boards
which helped keep Guelph off balance until the dying moments
of the third. The Dominators pulled their goalie in favor of
an extra attacker with under a minute to go but an empty net
goal by Tyler “Rock” Egerdee at 19:57 sealed the deal. The
fifth Cyclone “All Star” had his usual solid defensive game
and was set up nicely with an unselfish pass from Tory Fisher.
Shots on goal favored Guelph by a 13 to 12 margin.
The
weekend hockey scene shifts to a Sunday night game in
Waterloo, 7:00pm versus the Siskins at the Rec Complex, then
Tuesday night in Kitchener, 7:00 pm at the Kinsmen Arena.
Looking ahead to the rest of the 2008 schedule, Friday night’s
game features Brantford (and an visit from Santa) then
Sunday’s game is in Elmira for a 2:00pm game with the Sugar
Kings. So Cyclone fans, you will want to finish your Christmas
shopping early and catch more Cyclone hockey action. Let’s Go
Cyclones!!!!!!!!!!!
All Star Game-Special Edition
The Midwest Conference All
Star Game was a brilliant display of offense as the team black
defeated team white by a lopsided 17 to 7 margin. Team Black
Captain, Eric “Rico” McClure, led the scoring for both teams
with 4 goals and 3 assists, and was selected as Team Black MVP
(and also had a building dedicated in his name to commemorate
the feat). Line mates Eric “Roadrunner” Deckers and Chris
“Brussels Bullet” Corbett enjoyed a productive night as they
also figured into the scoring. Eric had 2 goals (including one
of his patent breakaway rushes finished by a “sick” deke) and
a handful of assists; while Chris scored once and also had a
bushel basket full of assists from setting up his line mates.
What with so many goals being scored in such a short time
span, the sports ticker blew a fuse while trying to keep up
with all the points that were being registered. On the blue
line Tyler “Rock” Egerdee was on guard to help keep the goals
against down under double figures; and to help set up some of
his team’s 17 goals on 58 shots. In the nets, Josh “Godfather”
Leis teamed up with Colin Breen of the Waterloo Siskins to
face 52 Team White shots; making a couple circus type saves
along the way. All in all, it was a fun night for the players
and coaches alike, as they were able to enjoy playing the
game, put on a show for the fans, and share some laughs in the
process.
Cyclones Solid in 6-3 Win Over
Lampton Shores
In their
4th interlocking conference game of the season the
Cyclones managed to come up with an important two points in a
6 to 3 win over the Lambton Shores Predators. The game was
somewhat of a close contest early on but as the match wore on
there was no doubt as to the final outcome. “King” James
Prigione earned his 5th win in goal stopping 27 of
the 30 shots that he faced, meanwhile the Cyclones sent 44 in
the other direction at Brendan Zwamburg. The Cyclones have
taken nicely to the interlocking GOJHL format as they have now
claimed 7 out of 8 points so far with 3 wins and an overtime
loss.
“The
Captain” Shane Mc Clure and Eric “Roadrunner” Deckers led the
offensive attack with two goals each, while crafty veteran
Mitch Allen and rookie young gun Brett Catto each had singles.
Tory “Thunder” Fisher bedazzled the crowd with his playmaking
prowess as he helped set up two goals, as did smooth skating
Chris “Brussels Bullet” Corbett who also had two helpers.
Single assists were credited to Eric “Rico” Mc Clure, Nick
“Does the Trick” Seiler, Chris “Target” Holmes” and Brendan
“PK Rocks” Haefling. As the story suggests, this was a well
rounded team effort for the “Men in White” tonight.
This
game featured a Christmas time buffet of bits and bites that
had everybody involved. A total of 107 minutes in penalties,
one power play goal on a combined 18 chances; and a grand
total of three, count ‘em folks, three shorthanded goals – one
for Lambton and two for the Cyclones. Chris Holmes teamed up
to spring Eric Deckers loose for one, while Shane “Banger” Mc
Clure made a sweet end to end dash, and finish through the
legs, on the other. For Eric this was his fourth “shorty” and
for Shane his first of the season. Forward Mitch Allen and
Tory Fisher both put in another Cyclonic effort at both ends
of the ice and accounted for themselves very well with some
good playmaking and all out hustle and grit. The trio of Eric
Mc Clure, Brett Catto and Braeden Rigney were buzzing the net
and playing their usually pesky style of game, while Chris
Holmes was happy to make it through in one piece without
having been allowed to drop the gloves. Miles Maclean
exchanged festive greetings with one of his adversaries.
Meanwhile Tyler “Rock” Egerdee lit up his opponents with some
thunderous body checking and he also took a more hands on
approach as he traded holiday rights and lefts at centre ice
with one unhappy (and very foolish) Lambton customer who
decided to start something that he really should not have.
D-men Kyle Goss, Nick Seiler and Mike Villamere were effective
in both zones while Joel Bowman drew love, hugs and admiration
from a few opponents with his classic rub out technique. (Good
work Joel!!!)
This
reporter has been very mindful to report the facts of the
hockey action as it unfolds, to do so in a fair and accurate
manner as possible, and to give credit where and when it is
due. Tonight in particular, fans, coaches and players (FROM
BOTH TEAMS) were disturbed, perturbed and generally annoyed
with the style of officiating was on display. Solid body
contact was somehow construed be hooking, elbowing or
charging. A player used as a punching bag (with full on gloves
and helmet) was given 5 minutes for fighting and game
misconduct. (This will teach him for not dropping his gloves
and throwing his fists?). Loud, crunching body contact along
the boards was assessed as a head check - twice. Cheap shots
applied to the back of the head, and players getting piled on
top off after the whistle were NOT being called as they
normally would. Instead the stripes called interference and
roughing after the whistle on those receiving the short end of
the cheap shots / pile on. There was no sense to it.
Meanwhile, the Cyclones have the rest of the weekend off and
they will prepare for next week’s blizzard of hockey action –
at home Friday night, 7:30pm against Guelph, away Sunday,
7:00pm in Waterloo and away Tuesday, 7:00pm in Kitchener.
Before
next weekend’s action starts, as an added bonus, come watch
your Cyclone All-Stars play this Monday night, 7:30 pm, in
Listowel as part of the Midwest Conference All Star Game. Josh
Leis, Tyler Egerdee, Eric Mc Clure, Chris Corbett and Eric
Deckers will be working their magic on the ice while coach
Mike Brooks will be working his magic on the bench. Don’t miss
the action!!!!!!!!!!
Wow!! What a Game!!- Brantford
6-Listowel 5
Listowel’s first game in the Brantford Civic Centre this 2008
– 2009 season versus the powerful first place Golden Eagles
was one of Absolute Cyclonic proportions. The visiting “Men in
Black” went for broke against the GOJHL leaders and in so
doing they put forward a tremendous and fantastic display of
determination, hustle and teamwork. The action was intense and
had a playoff flavour, as a wild “see – saw” battle raged from
one end of the ice to the other. Once again the Cyclones
showed what they are made of in this game; and as a team they
are starting to find their stride as they proved to themselves
and all in attendance how well they can battle and compete in
this league.
The
Cyclones jumped out to a solid 2-0 lead in the first period as
they took advantage of a lethargic Brantford squad who took 4
straight minor penalties during the opening 20 minutes. Young
Brett Catto had a big night and got the Cyclone twisting at
12:58 with a 5 on 3 power play goal. The rookie sniper from
Kincardine gathered in a centering pass from Miles MacLean and
Nick Seiler and ripped it home from the slot. At 18:42 Brett
repeated the feat on another power play as Nick Seiler and
Eric McClure teamed up on the rush to provide the set up – and
number 17 roofed it high and over the Savelli’s catching
glove. The Cyclones blitzed Savelli with 19 shots and could
have had a 4 -0 lead if not for the two posts that were hit –
one by Captain Shane “Banger” Mc Clure (“The Captain”) and the
other by the Chris “Brussels Bullet” Corbett. Brantford
launched 9 shots including a shorthanded breakaway chance that
did not fool “King James” Prigione, who had a fantastic game
in the Cyclone net.
In the
second period, Brantford found their skating legs and put
forward a better effort and in so doing they scored three
straight goals during the middle stanza. The first came at
6:34 and it was a point shot off the draw that was tipped in
front. The second quickly followed at 7:24 and it was due to a
turnover that was started by some good fore checking work by
the Golden Eagles and was finished by some tic-tac-toe passing
to the forward who snuck in behind the Listowel “D”. The third
Brantford goal came at 15:02 after more Brantford pressure in
the Cyclone zone resulted in a rebound off the post for an
easy tap in. The Golden Eagles controlled the play in the
second and outshot the Cyclones 17 to 12 and looked poised to
break the game open after two periods. The Cyclones were not
ready to concede anything at all and had other ideas during
the period as they managed to counter with some offensive
thrusts of their own. A sparkling solo dash from Braeden
Rigney came very close; meanwhile another dash by Chris Holmes
and Eric “Road Runner” Deckers came dangerously close but Eric
had his stick lifted just as he was ready to fire with the
goalie out of position.
The
stage was set for the third period and my-oh-my Cyclone fans
what a treat indeed. The Cyclones took advantage of yet
another 5 on 3 power play at 6:28 and once again it was Young
Brett Catto who provided the fireworks to tie the score. “The
Captain” unleashed a sweet shot from the blue line that popped
loose, bounced off a Brantford stick and onto the stick of #17
who slammed it into the yawning cage for his first Junior B
career hat trick. The Cyclone fans in attendance and the
Cyclones bench roared with delight as the lads found a new
hold against the home squad. Both teams continued to battle it
out for every square inch of ice and Brantford began to push
back with some offensive pressure of their own; meanwhile the
Cyclones put on a defensive display to fend them off. A
debatable holding call (both hands were still on the stick
ref) sent Kyle Goss shaking his head as he made his way into
the penalty box to serve his two minutes sentence. With two
seconds left in the power play, the Golden Eagles scored at
11:22. Then with the forwards digging hard to get the
equalizer, a cheap slashing call was doled out to Braeden
Rigney and at 13:30, the Golden Eagles were celebrating their
second power play goal of the game (another deflected point
shot) and a commanding 5 – 3 lead; thinking that they had this
game all sewn up. The Cyclone response was fantastic as the
men were not in any mood to quit – no way, no how. At 14:27
Eric Deckers fed Chris Holmes who was left wide open in front,
and Holmer absolutely ripped, and folks I mean he ripped a
laser shot, top shelf over the catching glove (that is still
rising by the time you read this report). Then at 14:50,
Deckers, Holmes and Mitch Allen continued to buzz the
Brantford end – this time it was veteran Mitch Allen who
slapped in a change up shot past Savelli that put the
Brantford goalie and his team into an absolute fit of
disbelief. The Cyclones roared back to life and were back in
this game and pushed harder to make some terrific plays in
pursuit of the victory. Glorious scoring chances followed by
Chris Corbett (missed getting it up and over on the glove
side), Brendan Haefling (screamed a shot just over the
crossbar after a fantastic back door feed) and Brett Catto (in
all alone at the side of the net and just missed jamming it
through the legs). At the other end, Joel Bowman made a
terrific sweep check to break up a scoring threat. The action
raged back and forth and was heading into overtime, that is,
until a hot rocket shot from Garbowsky with 35 seconds burned
a hole through “King” James Prigione and dribbled just over
the goal line. To the credit of the team and the Cyclone
coaches, even with 35 seconds, this group simply just DID NOT
QUIT. They worked the puck into the Brantford zone, put on a 6th
attacker, and got what they wanted, a faceoff in the Brantford
zone with 16 seconds left. A time out was called, a strategy
plotted, face off won, but the Cyclones just could not pull
the trigger on a point shot and with no more time left the
game was over. Listowel out shot Brantford 49 to 36 and
certainly showed Cyclone pride and heart as they pushed
Brantford to the brink and then some.
Many
positives can be taken from this game and the men know deep
down that they are capable of anything that they set their
minds to on the ice. This team can be proud of the work and
the effort that they are putting forth as of late and the men
are starting to gel and come into their own as a team. Cyclone
fans you can bet the coaches and players will be ready to have
another Cyclonic game this Friday night in Listowel. The
Cyclones have their fourth interlocking conference game of the
season as they take on a plucky Lambton Shores Predators squad
(the former Petrolia Jets). Lambton just came off a big win
against LaSalle and lately the Predators have been a handful
against their Western League opponents. The Cyclones will be
ready, so fans get out to Memorial Arena, make some noise and
cheer the men on to victory!!!!!!!!
Cycs Play Well But Lose 5-3 to
Siskins
Another
Cyclonic storm was unleashed Friday night as the home squad
unleashed a barrage of 50 shots at Will Sibley but went down
to a 5 – 3 defeat at the hands of the Waterloo Siskins. The
Cyclones applied great amounts of energy, effort and intensity
but inopportune turnovers at various times - leading to
Waterloo goals - proved to be the game breakers on this
evening.
The
Cyclones had had a solid first period and peppered the Siskins
zone with 20 shots on goal while the visitors could only
muster 5 of their own at Josh Leis. A major penalty assessed
to Waterloo for an ugly kneeing infraction provided an
excellent chance for the Cyclones to score first and get a leg
up on their opposition, but various scoring chances did not
yield any goals. The Cyclones continued to feed off of the
momentum gained by this power play and continued to press
onwards. Forward Mark England returned to the lineup after
sustaining and injury almost two weeks ago, and scored what
appeared to be the game’s first goal by deflecting a point
shot into the Siskin’s cage. This goal was disallowed as the
men in the stripes ruled that the stick was too high at the
point of contact with the puck. The game remained scoreless
until the second period.
Tanner
Pearson opened the scoring for the Siskins at 5:13 of the
second period, registering an unassisted effort on Waterloo’s
only power play of the game. The Cyclones were now in catch up
mode and roared back with a goal of their own to tie the match
at 6:40. Chris Corbett grabbed a loose puck, attacked the
Waterloo zone, used the defender as a screen, unleashed
another of his deceptively wicked shots, fooling Sibley. This
was scored as an unassisted goal but unofficially an assist
can be credited to Captain Shane “Banger” Mc Clure who started
the play seconds earlier when he dropped his shin pads in
front of a Waterloo point shot to create the neutral zone
turnover. 11 seconds later the Siskins quickly replied by
scoring their second when they got the puck inside the zone,
buzzed the net and worked the puck free to the open side where
Eric Lekun buried it into the twine. This rapid turn of events
seemed to temporarily deflate the home squad as Waterloo then
started to press for their 3rd, narrowly missing on
two or three great chances from close range. The Cyclones
dodged these attacks and countered with some pressure of their
own which resulted in a power play chance. This time the “Men
in White” made good on the man advantage as Chris Corbett
jammed in a loose puck off a scramble in front of the net at
13:09. As a reward for scoring his team leading 15th
goal of the season, the “Brussels Bullet” was slammed hard
into the ice by an unidentified Waterloo player (obviously
jealous about Chris’ selection to the Dec 8th All
Star game) but #26 bounced up quickly to celebrate the goal
with fellow Midwest Conference All Stars Eric “Rico” Mc Clure
and Tyler “Rock” Egerdee; both of whom had drawn assists on
the play. Unfortunately, this renewed energy was short lived
as another Cyclone turnover paved the way to allow Justin Knee
to sneak in alone on Josh Leis to give Waterloo a 3 – 2 lead
at 13:29. Once again the home squad found themselves in a
catch up frame of mind and worked diligently to try and tie
the game. With time winding down in the second period, young
guns Brett Catto and Braeden Rigney teamed up with wily
veteran Eric McClure did just that at the 19:26 mark. After
some good work and sustained pressure deep in the zone, Rigney
and Mc Clure set up Catto in front and the Kincardine native
ripped a shot just inside the post on the glove side for his 7th
goal of the season. This gave the home side a badly needed
boost heading into the third period. Shots on net favored the
home side by a margin of 17 to 11.
The
eventual outcome of this game was decided very early on in the
third period as the potential for a go ahead Listowel goal on
the power play was snuffed out by a short handed Waterloo
marker at 1:57. Justin Knee was able to work both him self
(and the puck) free and clear and to score unassisted. Two
more Cyclone power play chances developed as the rest of the
third progressed, but both came up dry. With time becoming a
factor, and with the home side pinching deep for the
equalizer, Justin Knee was set up on another clear break to
score his third of the game at 16:56 - thus cancelling any
hopes for a late third period rally by the Cyclones. Once
again the Cyclones held a shots advantage – 13 to 7.
As a
footnote to this game, although it is recorded as a loss in
the standings, the Cyclones as a team showed great effort,
character, maturity and poise - especially when a select few
Waterloo players decided at various times to take a run at
some of the Cyclones bigger performers of the evening. It is
this kind of heart and this kind of attitude that will pay
dividends for the Cyclones as the season continues.
The
Cyclones next action will be Saturday, November 29th,
7:30 at the Brantford Civic Centre; as the “Men in Black” will
take on the league leading Eagles. Brantford will be without
their leading scorer Alex Szczechura, who is currently
sidelined the next two to three weeks with what is being
reported as an “upper body” injury. Regardless, this Brantford
squad is solid in every department and the “Lads from Listowel”
will definitely need everyone in Cyclonic form for this game.
GO Cyclones GO!!!!!!
Cycs Win 5-1
Over Cullitons
Sunday,
November 23rdth was bright and sunny outside, but
inside Memorial Arena it was a Cyclonic Storm of hockey action
as the Cyclones unleashed a furious outburst on their way to a
solid 5 – 1 victory over the Stratford Cullitons. The Cyclones
cashed in on their chances, played with high energy, hustle,
enthusiasm and a solid total team effort at both ends of the
rink. The “Men in White” out shot their guests by a 34 to 31
margin, and unloaded some pent up scoring frustration onto the
Culliton nets – eventually chasing Evan Groenestege after
forty minutes of play with 5 goals on 24 shots. The Flying
McClure Brothers lead the charge at both ends of the ice -
Eric with 2 goals and an assist, Shayne with two helpers - and
both complimented their offensive output with some solid
defensive work as well. The dynamic duo of Braeden Rigney (1
goal, 1 assist) and Brett Catto (2 assists) had another strong
outing; Tyler “Rock” Egerdee and Joel Bowman notched 1 goal
each while savvy veterans Eric “Roadrunner” Deckers and Kyle
Goss recorded 2 assists and 1 assist respectively. Josh
“Godfather” Leis had another strong outing between the pipes
for the Cyclones, making some key saves in the early going to
keep the momentum churning in the Cyclones favor. On this
afternoon it was 60 minutes of solid Cyclones hockey.
The
first period was fast paced, hard skating and loaded with end
to end action. The home side registered their first two goals
in Cyclonic style. At 13:24 Eric McClure finished off a sweet
three way passing play from Eric Deckers and Shayne McClure,
as the trio barreled into the zone with a blaze of speed and
attacked the net with surgical precision. On the following
face off, the dynamite rookie duo of Catto and Rigney did
their best imitation of the veterans by buzzing the net and
setting up Eric McClure for his second of the game 20 seconds
later at 13:44. Shortly afterwards, the penalty killing
forward tandem of Mitch Allen and Miles Maclean had a golden
opportunity to bag a “shorty” and up the lead to 3-0, but
could not lift the puck over the pads of Groenestege. Cyclone
shots were 12 versus 9 for the visitors in red.
The
second period featured more energetic play from the home squad
and they parlayed this energy and effort into a powerplay goal
at 2:53. Kyle Goss set young Brett Catto on the loose down to
the left of the Culliton, his initial shot was stopped, but
the loose puck was grabbed by Braeden Rigney and stuffed home
for the Cyclones third goal of the game. More Cyclonic
pressure and determined puck movement inside the Culliton zone
resulted in goal number 4 at 16:08, courtesy of veteran d-man
Tyler “Rock” Egerdee. A loose puck in the slot was wristed
neatly towards the inside of the far post, on the stick side
of the bewildered Cullitons goaltender, and into the twine.
For good measure, the fifth and final Cyclone goal of the game
arrived at 17:20 as Eric Mc Clure controlled the puck in the
Cyclone zone on a delayed penalty call, fed it up to rookie
d-man Joel Bowman, who then coolly sifted his way past the
Culliton defenders and handcuffed Groenestege with an innocent
looking shot off the rush. For the former Huron-Perth Laker
this was his first goal as a Cyclone – good job Joel!!! The
second period scoring finished off with a debatable buzzer
beater by the Cullitons from the stick of Alex Erlich. Shots
on goal were even at 12 apiece.
The
third period saw the Cullitons try to storm back into the game
early on with two back to back powerplays (including over 30
seconds of 5 on 3) but the Cyclones repelled this attack and
responded with some offensive muster of their own to keep the
Cullitons on their heels for the rest of the way. Speedster
Eric “Roadrunner” Deckers was seen putting Jordan Ruby through
some intense stretching excercises as was Brendan Haefling.
For good measure, Brendan was also seen hustling at the other
end of the ice doing some defensive stretching of his own. No
overtime goalposts or shoot out drama was necessary this
afternoon, and for the Cyclone faithful in attendance, that
suited just fine. Shots on goal in the third period were even
at 10 apiece.
For the
next two games that are approaching, the lads will need to put
forth Cyclonic efforts similar to that which was played out in
this match. First, Friday night at home against the Waterloo
Siskins; then second, Saturday night in Brantford against the
Golden Eagles. Both games are 7:30 start times. Both of these
teams are very good and very skilled, but the Cyclones are
also capable of applying some skills and abilities of their
own; and look forward to the opportunity to “Unleash the
Storm” onto the conference front runners. Keep working hard
lads, the effort IS paying off. Let’s Go
Cyclones!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Another Thriller
Ends In 3-2 Shoot-Out Loss to SugarKings
Friday,
November 21st was another dark and snowy evening
outside, and inside Listowel Memorial Arena the battle of
Highway 86 continued between the Cyclones and the Elmira Sugar
Kings. At the halfway point of the season; both teams have had
their trials and tribulations of late, and as such, were
looking to put forth an effort that would get them back onto a
winning track. The home squad had a 1-0 lead after one period
and a 2 – 1 lead after two periods, but lost their offensive
edge as they experienced penalty trouble in the third. This
allowed the visitors to regain momentum for themselves and tie
it up midway through the third period.
The
Cyclones hit the score board first at 4:48 of the opening
frame. After a power play chance had just elapsed, Braeden
Rigney managed to get in behind the Elmira defence and slip
the loose puck through Brandon Wysman. Kyle Goss and Nick
Seiler drew assists on the play. Josh “Godfather” Leis was
alert and on his toes as he turned away 13 Elmira shots, while
the Cyclones directed 15 at the other end. The ugly play of
the first period, and the game, came at the 5:17 mark. Dawson
Smith was fed a head first helping of the dasher boards after
a check from behind by Kyle Mc Neil. After some assistance by
the Cyclone trainer and fellow teammates, big number 3 was
able to get up and make his way to the dressing room. Mc Neil
made some feeble excuses to the referee but regardless, an
automatic ejection followed and a five minute major penalty
was called. The Cyclones buzzed the net but could not score
during the five minute man advantage. The first period ended
with a scrum in the Elmira zone, after an Elmira player tried
his best to steer wrestle Captain Shane “Banger” Mc Clure in
the corner. Cheap lip service and hot air was the best that
#14 could dish out as the Captain is far too tough to be
handled otherwise.
The
Cyclones continued to apply more scoring chances in the second
with 20 shots at the Elmira net while limiting the visitors to
12. One of those 20 Cyclone shots was delivered by Eric
Deckers and it crossed the goal line at 4:55. Captain Shane
“Banger” McClure and Tyler “Rock” Egerdee worked the puck
along the boards to #12. In typical roadrunner style, Eric
sped his way into the Elmira zone, used the defender as a
screen, and snapped a shot that just dribbled past Wysman.
Great team work men!!!! The visiting green shirts got that one
back at 6:53 on the powerplay after some good Cyclones chances
for a “shorty” came up empty. The save of the period and the
game came two minutes in when Josh Leis robbed Therrien with
an outstanding catching mitt grab at point blank range.
As
mentioned in the opening, the third period saw the home squad
take more penalties than they wanted to. The Sugar Kings tied
the game at 8:22 – the Cyclones had killed the penalty but
could not break the puck from the zone. The Cyclones dodged a
minor penalty with just over two minutes to go, and with 12
seconds left, Eric Deckers was foiled on a breakaway attempt
after the successful penalty kill. 5 minutes of 4 on 4
overtime followed. The aforementioned Grand Valley native and
Tory “Thunder” Fisher teamed up for a great chance early in
overtime, but the Cyclones had to climb into their shell to
fend off another Elmira powerplay, before getting a powerplay
chance of their own in the latter half of the overtime
session. With 1:19 left, Braeden Rigney absolutely drilled a
hard point shot through a screen of players and the puck rang
off the post and stayed out. So the stage was set for the
seventh shootout of the season. 4 shooters aside were needed
to sort this one out - Young Brett Catto made good on his
chance but Freeman and Kuntz had the answers for the Sugar
Kings.
Some
definite improvements in the Cyclones overall game effort were
evident tonight and the lads are stubbornly working their way
through each period of hockey one shift at a time. The
Cyclones will now rest up and prepare for this Sunday’s
afternoon home game against the Stratford Cullitons. The puck
drops at 1:30. Let’s Go Cyclones!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Cullitons Defeat Cyclones 4-1
Sunday,
November 16th was another dark and snowy evening
outside, but inside the Allman Arena, the Stratford Cullitons
cashed in on their chances and played a tight checking game to
defeat the Cyclones by a 4 to 1 score. The Cyclones actually
out shot their hosts by a 37 to 25 margin, but much to their
frustration they could not get anything past Evan Groenestege
until 1:29 of the third period. From behind the Culliton net,
Chris Corbett and Eric Deckers set up Mike Villamere for his
first of the year, to open the scoring in the third period, on
what looked to be the makings of a Cyclone comeback. Third
period comeback hopes were dashed as the Cyclones found
themselves in the penalty box more often than they wanted to
be, and as a result they could not sustain any further
pressure on the Cullitons.
Young
Brett Catto had an energetic game in which he generated some
good scoring chances, including a penalty shot, and a wrap
around attempt – both of which just missed the mark. Eric
“Rico” McClure put forth an abrasive effort in the corners and
along the boards but had his night’s work cut short after
being assessed a checking from behind penalty. The Cyclone
penalty killers surrendered only one goal on one of several
Culliton powerplays; and with a few bounces, could have some
better short handed scoring chances for themselves.
The
“Men in Black” did their best to follow through on their 63
shot output against Guelph from the night before, but were
fighting an uphill battle all night long. Stratford had a 2-0
lead after the first, a 4-0 lead after two periods – managing
to wait out the Cyclone attacks, then grabbing the puck and
sending it the other way to catch the Cyclones out of
position.
The
Cyclones will now regroup and prepare for their Friday night
home game against the Elmira Sugar Kings. As always, the puck
drop is at 7:30. Keep working hard lads, the effort will pay
off.
Cyclones
Overwhelm Dominators in a 6-1 Victory
On Saturday night, there was snowy, rainy and foul weather on
the outside but on the inside there was Cyclonic
hockey at the Victoria Road Arena as Listowel
hammered the Guelph net with 64 shots enroute
to a 6 to 1 win. The "Men in Black" were full value
for tonight's win as they carried the play to the opposition
from the opening faceoff and did not let up for 60 minutes of
play. Rookie goaltender James Prigione turned aside 24 of
25 Guelph shots, the Cyclones power play went 1 for 6 and the
Cyclone penalty kill turned away all 4 Dominator power
plays.
The home side got themselves on the scoresheet at 7:59 of
the first period with an even strength goal from close range,
as a pass towards the net was redirected into the
twine past James Prigione. From that point on it was
all Cyclones who registered on the scoring summary, but not
before bombarding Blake Sinclair with a considerable amount of
rubber. The Cyclones had some great chances during the
powerplay, and 4 on 4, but could only get as close as a Shane
"Banger" Mc Clure shot off the crossbar with less
than a minute to go in the opening frame. 16 Cyclone shots
were recorded versus 8 for Guelph.
The non-scoring trend continued into the second period as
three Cyclone powerplay chances came close but yielded no
goals. The Cyclones upped their effort, continued to
blitz the net, and finally cashed in at 11:22. Tory
"Thunder" Fisher dove headlong and rapped in a loose
puck through a maze of legs and sticks to kickstart the
Cyclone scoring machine - assists to Catto and Haefling.
To say the least, this inspiring effort certainly ignited the
rest of the Cyclone bench and the Cyclone fans in the stands.
At 17:45 Eric Deckers grabbed a loose puck behind the
Guelph net, banked it off some skates and past Sinclair
to give the Cyclones the 2 - 1 lead. Although the goal was
unassisted, it was the product of some Cyclonic work in
the Dominator zone and it would prove to be the eventual game
winner. During the second period, the Cyclones pumped an
incredible 33 shots at the Guelph net while the home side
could only muster 7 at the other end of the rink. At one point
Guelph called a time out to try and reverse the Cyclonic
turn of events that was unfolding, but to no avail.
The Cyclones started the third period on the penalty kill but
did not yield any clean chances. The cause was helped as
Guelph took a penalty of their own half way into this
powerplay. The Cyclones continued to work hard at both
ends of the ice and put up a forechecking screen that
helped slow up the Guelph attack. In their own end the
Cyclones worked very hard at marking their checks and paid
very close attention to positional play to keep the
Dominators at bay. The third Cyclone goal started behind their
own net as Dawson Smith fed a pass up along the boards to
Craig "Grinder" England, who then moved swiftly into
the Guelph zone, unleashed a hard shot that bounced off
Sinclair's left pad and onto the stick of a wide open Miles
MacLean who buried into the cage at 7:41. Another Guelph
powerplay followed shortly afterwards but James Prigione and
the penalty killers closed the door. The Cyclones continued to
patiently smother the Dominators with a forechecking blanket and
after some good cycling work behind the net; Eric Deckers
slipped the puck to Eric "Rico" McClure. Eric then
moved out front and swept the puck through traffic and
past Sinclair to up the lead to 4 - 1 at 12:55. Kyle Goss
made it 5 - 1 at 16:16 during a Cyclone powerplay
after receiving a nice cross ice pass from Eric Mc Clure,
and snapping it past Sinclair who was caught moving from
post to post. Nick Seiler drew the second assist on the play.
The Cyclone scoring was wrapped up by Miles MacLean at 17:14
during another Guelph defensive zone breakdown. Eric McClure
drew the assist. Craig "Grinder" England drew
an unofficial assist by leading the rush and drawing a nasty
knee on knee type collision that ultimately sets the stage for the
scoring play.
This inspired and full out team effort by the Cyclones
certainly shows what the men are capable of when they are at
their Cyclonic best; and it will be this same Cyclonic
style of play that they will need to draw from again
on Sunday night, 7:30, versus the Cullitons at the Allman
Arena. Keep it rolling guys and let's get some fans in
the stands behind the visitors' bench to help them along. Go
Cyclones!!!!!!!!
Cyclones Fall
6-2 to Siskins on Home Ice
Friday night's match saw the Listowel Cyclones fall 6 - 2 to
the sticks of the Waterloo Siskins. The game was an even
contest through twenty minutes as both teams were tied at 1 -
1; and both squads matched each other with a goal apiece in
the third period, but it was 4 Siskin goals in the second
period that became the undoing of the Cyclones in this game. A
total of 46 shots were launched at the Listowel net by the
Siskins, while the home squad aimed 34 at the Waterloo net.
The first period was uptempo, fast moving and had very
few stoppages in play. The Siskins opened the scoring at 14:00
on the powerplay but the "Men in White" countered
with a "PP" marker of their own at 18:02. Ty Egerdee
slipped into the open ice at the front of the Siskins net
and slipped the puck through the five hole - this after coming
close on two other ocassions on the same powerplay. Captain
Shane "Banger" McClure and Eric McClure drew assists
on the play. The shots on goal were evenly matched - Waterloo
with 12 and Listowel 11. Both teams had some good scoring
chances but could only yield one goal each.
The second period featured the same tempo and quick
moving play but it was the visiting blackshirts who gained the
upperhand during the middle frame. Waterloo scored at
1:14, after a broken Cyclone stick led to the turnover
which then ultimately led to the second Waterloo goal. Josh
"Godfather" Leis made a tremendous first save
but the rebound was grabbed by the Siskins and buried into the
top corner. The Cyclones continued to press for the equalizer
and had a very good 5 on 4 powerplay set about three minutes
later but could not find the mark. Shortly after the Siskins
killed off that penalty they managed to get the puck deep into
the zone, force a turnover, get behind the Cyclone defenders,
and grab a 3 - 1 lead at 6:24. This goal seemed to deflate the Cyclones
and their intensity level seemed to sag and back off
after this point, as Waterloo intensified their forechecking
pressure at even strength and on the penalty kill. The home
side continued to battle as they remounted an offensive attack
but could not get anything past the Waterloo netminder. The
Siskins managed two more goals - one at 15:09 and another at
18:02; both by capitalizing on defensive lapses in the Cyclone
zone. Shots on goal were in Waterloo's favour 17 to 13.
The third period featured more strong Waterloo
forechecking and a seven minute Siskin powerplay which stifled
any comeback that the Cyclones were trying to devise.
Eric "Roadrunner" Deckers slipped in a rebound from
the side of the net at 10:13 and was assisted by Kyle Goss and
Shane Mc Clure. The seven minute powerplay followed shortly
after that and the Siskins scored their final goal of the game
at 12:59, after another broken stick gave the Siskins a 5 on 3
advantage. Waterloo had 16 third period shots on James
Prigione, who entered the game after the 4th Siskin goal in
relief of Josh Leis. James continues to play well and made
some very good saves at close range to keep the score
respectable.
Game number two of this weekend is Saturday in Guelph, 7:30,
at the Victoria Road Arena against the Dominators; followed by
a rare Sunday night game in Stratford, 7:30, at the newly
refurbished Allman Arena. Let's Go Cyclones!!!
After a Tough 1st, Cycs Play Well
but Lose 3-2 to Cambridge
Last night in Cambridge, the Cyclones started out slowly once
again and unfortunately ended the 1st period being down by 3
goals. As the game progressed, The Cyclones again got stronger
as time went by. By the end of the 2nd period, Listowel had
brought the score to within one as 3-2 was the score after 2.
Miles MacLean scored the 1st one, assisted by Mitch Allen and
Brett Catto scored the 2nd goal assisted by Miles MacLean.
The Cyclones pressed hard during the 3rd period as they
outshot the WinterHawks by a 12 to 5 margin but they could not
even up the score. Through the 60 minutes, Listowel outshot
Cambridge by 38-31 but came out short in the most important
stat.
Although the Cyclones only got one point out of the weekend,
there were many positives during the 2 games. The big
one was that they didn't give up and battled hard during the
2nd and 3rd periods. Once they figure out a way to come up
with a big 1st period, all will be good. At this point they
are saving up a lot of goals for future games and trust
me...they will come.
Come on out on Friday night when the 2nd place, Waterloo
Siskins are in town. It is the start of another big 3 game
weekend and this will be the turning point for the Cyclones as
they get back in the win column.
Go Cyclones Go!!!
What A Game!!
Listy Loses 5-4 in SO to Dutchmen
If a game like the game tonight doesn't bring
hockey fans back out to the local arenas, there is something
wrong. For the nominal admission charge, this is 2 plus hours
of solid hockey entertainment. Although Listowel started out
slowly tonight, the Cyclones picked up momentum as the game
progressed. Kitchener pressed throughout the first period and
after a fairly cheesy 2nd goal, ended up with a 2-0 lead after
one period. Josh Leis was strong in this period as he was
tested often.
Going into the 2nd period, the Dutchmen again
came out strong but Listowel gradually started gaining
momentum and had a great many quality scoring chances. Tory
(Thunder) Fisher fired a nice shot to bring the score to 2-1
as he was assisted by the ever improving, Braedon Rigney. Tory
is gradually picking up hockey pointers from his co-workers at
Conway Furniture. Unfortunately midway through the 2nd, a
giveaway combined with a lost edge, combined for the 3rd
Dutchmen goal of the game. The Cycs kept battling but the
period ended with the 3-1 deficit. The 3rd period was all
Cyclones as they gave it their all.
Craig England brought the game to within one
as he deflected a nice shot from Chris Corbett who received
the pass from Eric McClure. Probably the nicest goal of
the game was set up by Rigney as he put the puck over to the
great, Kyle Goss, who made some "nifty" moves and then slid
the puck over to Brett Catto to pound home. The Cycs
kept up the pressure and it was Eric Deckers who made the
"sickest" deke of all time and although only 1/64" remaining
before the goal line, he slid the puck into the net. This
should have been the winner but unfortunately, another
defensive error allowed the Dutchmen to tie up the game.
During the 4 on 4 overtime, Listy dominated but could not
score. For Listowel, this meant the shootout.....
Take the drive to Cambridge on Saturday night.
The Cycs are back and getting stronger.
Go Cyclones Go!!!
You may have noticed that our Roving Reporter
is on Holidays so The Cyclone Administration apologizes for
the lack of quality writing in this report.
Dutchmen Blank
Cyclones 3-0 on Tuesday Night
Tuesday night the focus was on "Red versus
Blue" to the south of the border, but on this side of the
border the focus at the Kinsmen Arena was "Black versus White"
as the Cyclones battled with the hometown Kitchener Dutchmen
in the only game on Tuesday night's GOJHL schedule. Similar to
Sunday's game in Owen Sound, the Cyclones put forward another
decent effort but unlike Sunday, the Cyclones' work could not
produce the same results and as a result they went down to
defeat in an evenly played contest. The Cyclones launched 26
shots at Mike Morrison while the Dutchmen aimed 29 at James
Prigione. James was very solid in goal but unfortunately his
team could not score on this evening. The visiting blackshirts were
0 for 3 on the powerplay and the home squad was 1 for 6 with
the man advantage. There was one rumble and it was in the
first period as Craig England and Alex McCaffery traded jabs
after colliding in the corner to the left of the Dutchmen
goal. Although Craig is known for his scrapping abilities, he
had no interest in this scrap but after several jabs from
McCaffery, Craig relented. The instigation was somehow
overlooked. Each player was able to land a couple solid hooks
on the other before the on ice authorities moved in to break
up the fracas. In addition to the major infractions there were
10 minor penalties called - a decisive difference from
Sunday's match where only one minor call was made.
The Cyclones aim to return the favour Friday night as
Kitchener pays a visit to Memorial Arena for a 7:30 faceoff.
Then on Saturday its is off to the venerable Galt Arena on
Shade Street to square off against the Cambridge Winterhawks at
7:00pm. Let's Go Cyclones!!!!
Cyclones Defeat
Grey's 4-0
Sunday night the Listowel Cyclones were full
value for the entire 60 minutes of regulation time as they
shut out the Greys by a 4 to 0 score. The Cyclones worked hard
at both ends of the ice and emerged victorious over a stubborn
Greys home squad. The "Men in Black" played a disciplined game
(only one minor penalty assessed), worked hard to generate
pressure and turn overs in the offensive zone; and paid
special attention to defending their own end and limiting the
home side to a scant handful of clearcut scoring chances.
Rookie 'tender James Prigione was sharp when called upon and
earned his third win and second shut out of the season.
Although the first period was scoreless, there was plenty of
skating and there were very few stoppages in play. The
Cyclones were making some good manoeuvers inside the Owen
Sound zone but could not find the finishing touch around the
net. The Cyclones outshot the Greys by a 12 to 7 margin.
Owen Sound had the only powerplay of the game but could not
mount a serious threat on net during the two minute man
advantage.
The start to the second period was similar to the first period
action. All of Listowel's forward lines were getting decent
scoring chances and coming close to burying the biscuit. At
8:46, the Cyclones struck for their first goal courtesy of the
youthful and dynamic duo of Braeden Rigney and Brett Catto.
Doing his absolute best impression of "Banger" Mc Clure,
Braeden cleanly and efficiently knocked the Owen Sound
defender completely off of the puck, and from behind the net,
fed the puck in front of the net to Brett, who rapped it in
after beating his man in a foot race to the net. This duo is
simply dynamite on skates and after a third of the way into
the season, they along with fellow rookies Miles MacLean, Joel
Bowman and James Prigione, are making their way into the
Junior B ranks in absolutely fine style. The remainder of the
second period featured more Cyclonic scoring chances as the
visitors pelted the Grey's cage with 18 shots versus the 4
shots that were cast at the Cyclone net.
The start of the third period saw the Greys come out with more
jump in their skates and pep on their shots but James and his
"gang of blackshirts" were able to ward off Owen Sound and
counter with some more chances of their own. At
14:40, emergency call up Drew Davidson pounced on a loose puck
and swept it in, after Chris Corbett won the faceoff in the
Owen Sound zone. The Cyclones continued their strict attention
to an aggressive defensive strategy and kept Owen Sound hemmed
inside their zone long enough to force a turn over and set up
the third goal. This time it was emergency call up Trevor
Smith's turn to score as he directed a crisp low shot at the
Owen Sound net which found its way into the twine at 16:23.
Trevor was the beneficiary of some strong puck movement
from Craig "Dash" England and was it #26 Shane Mc Clure or #28
Chris Corbett? Either way, it was a great play late in the
game to give the Cyclones a commanding 3 - 0 lead. With the
clock winding down the Greys pulled their netminder to try and
break the shut out but it was all in vain as Eric "Roadrunner"
Deckers gathered in a Chris Corbett feed and dialed it in from
long distance to make the final a 4-0 score with 24 ticks left
on the clock.
So after splitting the weekend set of games - one win, one
loss, 7 goals scored, 7 goals against - the Cyclones now get
an early start to the week with a Tuesday night tangle with
the feisty and rambunctious Kitchener Dutchmen. Both the
Cyclones and the Dutchmen are jockeying for third position in
the Midwest Conference of the GOJHL, and with Stratford and
Cambridge not too far behind in the standings, this will be
another important game for both teams in the early going of
the season. Start time is 7:00pm at the Kinsmen Arena. Let's
Go get 'em Cyclones!!!!!
