The Listowel Atom Rep Cyclones are the 2017-18 OMHA 'B' champions, after beating the Ingersoll Express 6-2 on points in the All-Ontario final series.
Congratulations!!!
Midway through the 2017-18 season, the Listowel Atom Reps lost the battle with the Ingersoll Express at the International Silver Stick finals.
The Cyclones lost the battle, but in the end, they won the war.
Listowel clinched the Ontario Minor Hockey Association ‘B’ championship over Ingersoll in dramatic fashion on March 30, winning Game 4 of the provincial finals 2-1 in overtime. Henry Meulensteen scored early in the extra frame to give the Cyclones a 6-2 series win and the All-Ontario title.
Heading into Game 2 of the series, the Express had taken all three meetings with the Cyclones this season – two coming in the International Silver Stick tournament and a 5-2 decision in Game 1 of the OMHA finals.
“We talked as a team that we wanted to get the next three wins against Ingersoll,” said head coach Kyle Hollinger. “We avenged ourselves to get those next three wins. We proved the character of our team.”
Listowel would win Game 2 5-3 in Ingersoll on March 22, followed by a 3-1 victory in Game 3 at the Steve Kerr Memorial Complex on March 28.
In Game 4 back in Ingersoll on Friday night, Dax Vader opened the scoring five minutes into the second period, when he initiated a rush at the Listowel blue line and potted an unassisted goal after outpacing the Express defense. According to Hollinger, he estimated that Vader was in on all but two of the Cyclones’ goals over the course of the four games of the OMHA finals.
The Express would tie the game 1-1 on a scramble midway through the third, sending the game to overtime. Ayden Arent led a rush into the Ingersoll zone early in the extra frame, and after he cut to the net to create a scoring chance, Taynton Berfelz poked the puck loose to a waiting Meulensteen. He deposited the puck in the open net for the OMHA title-clinching goal.
“I’m very proud,” said Hollinger, whose team posted an overall record of 46-15-4 in 2017-18. “They work hard. For a team that didn’t win a ton at the start of the year, they really turned it around. They always seem to find a way.”
Source of the story: https://www.southwesternontario.ca/sports-story/8368093-listowel-atom-reps-win-omha-b-title/#.WsJhzH2fURg.facebook
Writer: Dan McNee