The Jr. C Alliston Hornets are headed to the semi-finals for the Schmalz Cup after they downed the Walkerton Hawks 4-3 halfway through a sudden death overtime period in game six
The Hornets and Hawks have traded home-game wins in their Schmalz Cup quarter-finals series so why should game six have been be any different with goals?
The Hornets went into Wednesday's game a couple of hours west in Walkerton up three games to two in the series and all night the two teams traded goals .
As the season heads into a whole new calendar, it's taking its toll on the benches. Alliston's left winger Kyle McPherson, who has been a force in post-season play, was a scratch for the game.
First Period
Alliston’s Kyle McDowell put the Hornets out front halfway through the first period assisted by Cole Parker and Zenon Byblow. But that was answered by Walkerton’s Keegan Tolton on a powerplay from Curtis Johnston and Derek Skinner at 14:43 of the first.
Alliston left the second frame in the lead when Kurtis Brossard gave it back to them on a powerplay of their own about three minutes later at 17:12 off passes from Luke Vanderhulst and Jason Campeau.
Second Period
The game had been a penalty-fest up until this point and the rough stuff continued into the second frame with everything from spearing, holding, roughing and even the unusual call of head checking on the board.
But Brossard became the hero for the Hornets in this one as he scored his second goal of the night for the Hornets to put them up 3-1 off a pass from Tottenham-native Jeff McCarty at 12:56.
Walkerton took advantage of a powerplay to get right back into the game just two-and-a-half minutes later as Ryan Amyot scored from Tolton.
Shots at the bottom of the frame were 33-29 in the Hornets favour, but that’s as even as it has been in quite a few games.
Penalties are a little more lopsided to Walkerton as they struggle with their backs against the wall in this. It’s do or die for the Hawks as a Hornet win means they take the series and send them to the golf course. The Hawks spent 32 mins in the box of the 40 minutes of play on 11 infractions, while Alliston has accumulated just 14 minutes on eight infractions.
Alliston netminder Jon Porretta was standing on his head, particularly at the bottom of the second frame when he staved off even a five on three attack for a time from the Hawks’ offense.
Third Period
Walkerton's Todd Cooper took a dangerous elbowing penalty just 1:06 into the final frame for a team down 3-2 with it s back against the wall, but the Hornets couldn't advance the lead on the man advantage.
It was a controversial goal with 16:21 left in the third at even Hornets' coach Darrin Shannon argued the goal as Walkerton's Derek Skinner fired it in over Hornet netminder Jon Porretta with what many thought was a high stick. No one apparently assisted on the play, but it looked as though it may have been deflected with a high stick. The goal judge was consulted on the play and the goal stood.
A tied game will sure tighten things up in the dying minutes of a critical game.
With two minutes remaining, the refs waived off a Hornet goal on Hawks netminder Trevor Vanwyk as a glove pass by Alliston's Kyle Montpetit.
Overtime
Porretta made a couple of huge saves in the opening minutes of overtime to give the Hornets the chance to win it.
Kyle Montpetit scored one huge goal with the game winner 8:53 p.m. into the 20-minute overtime frame, on an unassisted play to beat the Hawks' Trevor Vanwyk.
Alliston will now face the Napanee Raiders, who defeated Georgina four games to three in the Central quarter-final series with a win on Monday night. The first game of that best-of-seven-series will take place Saturday night in Napanee, near Kingston. The series will return to Alliston's New Tec Rec Centre Sunday night at 6:30 p.m. for game two. Get your tickets early. This one's going to be HUGE!
Check back here at www.allistonherald.com for live updates as the Hornets get closer and closer to the coveted Schmalz Cup for the first time in the league history.
