The Alliston Hornets won game five, 3-0 to take a 3-2 lead over the Walkerton Hawks in the Schmalz Cup quarter finals.
It was the biggest packed house so far in this series as the Alliston Hornets and Walkerton Hawks face off for game five of a best of seven series in the quarter finals for the Schmalz Cup. The cars were parked a long way up the old 14th Line as the parking lot at the New Tec Rec Complex was packed once again.
Despite both goaltenders being pulled in game four, the Hawks' Trevor Vanwyk and the Hornets' Jon Porretta started tonight for their respective teams in net.
Early in the play, Walkerton burned off a two-minute minor to Derek Skinner for holding just 26 seconds in.
Walkerton got a powerplay opportunity as Jason Campeau took a cross checking penalty with just over 8:05 left in the first. Porretta made four nice saves on the advantage for the Hawks as the Hornets burned off the penalty.
Then the Hornets's Cole Parker took holding penalty with 2:16 left in the first and Hornet netminder Porretta sustained another barage of shots successfully to end the period.
The period ended with shots on net 11-9 in Alliston's favour.
Second Period
Lots of back and forth, but still no scoring as the first eight minutes ticked away.
The Hawks' Todd Cooper took a slashing call as he poked at the puck covered by Jon Porretta with 11 and a half left to play in the second. to give the Hornets another chance on the man advantage.
But the Hornets couldn't make good on it and with 9:11 left it was all even again.
Walkerton's Trevor Smith took a two minute hooking call with just over eight minutes left to give the Hornets another powerplay, but it was short lived as the Hornets Zenon Byblow took a hooking call of his own at 14:44 and made it four on four.
There was a big chance for Byblow as he returned to the ice from the penalty box that resulted in a three on two play, but the shot went wide.
Ryan Amyot and Kurtis Brossard took co-incidental two minute minors for slashing with 22 seconds left in the second frame. The period ended 0-0 on the scoreboard.
Shots on net were 19-17 in the Hornets' favour at the bottom of the second.
Third Period
The Hawks Todd Cooper had a nice chance under two minutes into play, but Porretta was all over it to make the big save. This is a much different game than game four that saw wide open scoring with 11 goals.
Poretta made another game-saving save seconds later as Curtis Johnston took a dangerous shot.
With 13:28 left to play Robbie Rutledege scored for the Hornets assisted by Bradon Elliott and Micheal Campeau.
With 10:14 left, the Hornets' Ryan Algar took a two-minute minor for interference to give the Hawks a man advantage. Porretta took a number of shots on the powerplay, but blocked them all.
Then Michael Campeau scored from Thomas Faris and Brandon Elliott to make it 2-0 for the Hornets.
With 6:25 left to play the tow teams took offsetting two-minute minors.
Then Jason Campeau took a two-minute high sticking call for the Hornets to give the Hawks the advantage with six minutes remaining.
Then with two minutes left the Hawks called a time out.
With two minutes left Wanwyck left the Hawks net and they added the extra attacker.
Thomas Faris took a shot on the empty net with 1:15 left, but missed for an icing call. On his third chance on the empty net he made good on it though, to make it 3-0 and seal the win for the Hornets.
Background
What started out as a best of seven series between the OHA Jr. C Western Champions and the Georgian Bay Mid-Ontario Champions has now boiled down to a simple best of three.
The GBMO Champion Alliston Hornets and Western Champion Walkerton Hawks are tied at two games each headed into game five tonight at the New Tecumseth Recreation Complex and when it’s all over, one team will be left just one win away from the Schmalz Cup quarter-final title.
Both teams have yet to win an away game in the series, taking their wins on home ice. The pressure is on Walkerton though as Alliston has home-ice advantage if the series goes to seven games. That means the Hawks must win an away game, but the Hornets could take it with only wins on home ice.
Friday night’s contest in game four at the Walkerton Community Centre was an exciting one, that was tied 5-5 after regulation time and went into a 20-minute sudden death overtime frame to decide it.
For the Hawks, former Barrie Colt Mike Roloefsen had to be the hero in this one, scoring the overtime game winner just 1:22 into the OT frame off a pass from Ryan Amyot. Amyot and Roloefsen also combined for the tying marker with 3:11 left in regulation time, but Amyot was on the scoring for this one. Roloefsen also picked up an assist on the Hawks fourth marker in the second period.
You can bet the Hornets are going to be keeping a careful eye on this lethal combination tonight.
Alliston goals in game four came from Mike James (Kurtis Brossard and Ryan Algar), Robbie Rutledge (unassisted), Kyle McPherson (Algar), Jason Campeau (shorthanded, unassisted) and Thomas Faris (Michael Campeau).
Shots on net could have been a factor in game four, the Hawks blasted 43 on the Alliston net, while Alliston only managed 25 on the Hawks' net.
Game five gets underway as 6:30 p.m. at the New Tecumseth Recreation Complex. Click your refresh button frequently for live updates here at www.allistonherald.com, or listen to Steve Sabourin’s live broadcast on CKNX AM 920 out of Wingham using Windows Media Player on your computer.
It’s was also an exciting night as one fan got a chance to win a two-year lease on a brand new, 2008 Pontiac Vibe AWD from Ernie Dean Pontiac Buick, GMC one of the Hornets’ premiere sponsors. An Orillia man took the shot, but missed.
Game six will be played Wed., April 2 in Walkerton at 8:30 p.m. and game seven in Alliston at 8 p.m. on Thurs., April 3.
The Essex 73s swept Wallaceburg in four games and are awaiting the results of the remainder of the quarter-final rounds for the Clarence (Tubby) Schmalz Cup.
Elsewhere in the race for the Clarence (Tubby) Schmalz Cup, Grimbsy leads Niagara three games
to one and Napanee leads Georgina three games to two.
