The Midget Reps regular season has just ended with five games in seven days. The boys found their scoring touch and outscored their competition 30 - 17.
The team started the new year of hockey in Clinton on Jan. 2 vs the BCH Ice Dogs. There was no shortage of scoring in this game and both teams held the lead several times. The final score was 7 – 7. Goal scorers were Ben Verkley (2), Ryan Goetz, Luke Binning, Matt McCracken and Travis Bender (2). Assists went to Bender, Binning (2), Connor Johnson and Verkley.
Two days later, the Ice Dogs came to Listowel for what turned out to be another high scoring affair, but this time, the majority of the goals were for the home team. Binning scored the first of his hat trick early in the first to get the Cycs rolling and they never looked back. Ben Nelson only allowed the Ice Dogs one goal, meanwhile, the team in front of him beat the Ice Dogs tender a total of eight times. Goals were scored by Binning (3), Jordan Linstead (2) , Goetz, Cory Wilson and Johnson. Assists went to Alex Balthes, Verkley (6), Linstead (2), Bender (2), Conner Dewar, Matt Wilkans (2), Binning and Cody Matheson.
Thursday night brought the Mount Forest Rams to town. After scoring 15 goals in the two previous games, the Cycs could only muster one goal in this battle, however, they gave up two. The lone Cyclones goal was scored by Goetz with assists to Verkley and Linstead.
The boys took a trip to Walkerton on Friday night to face the Capitals. The Cycs found themselves down by 3 goals less than five minutes into the contest but they managed to turn their game around and found their scoring touch again and went back at the Capitals with 10 unanswered goals. Goal scorers were Bender (3), Wilson, Matheson, Scott Boertein (2), McCracken, Wilkans and Verkley. Assists went to Johnson (2), Verkley (2), Dewar, Wilkans and McCracken (2).
The Minto Mad Dogs came to town on Sunday for the final game of the regular season. The Cycs jumped out to an early lead and ended the second period up by a score of 4 – 1. The Cycs seemed to lay back a bit in the third and gave up 3 goals to end the game tied at 4. Goals were scored by Binning (2), McCracken and Bender with assists by Dewar, Johnson (2), Boertein and Binning.
The boys managed some TSN highlight reel goals during this last stretch of games and really showed some great team play and a lot of puck movement to go along with their hard work ethic. The boys are preparing for their first round of playoffs against the Goderich Sailors to begin within the next couple of weeks.