Mar 25, 2022 | Brendan Magee | 320 views
U9 Reps punch ticket to the WOAA finals!!!
The Listowel Cyclones U9 Rep team travelled to Seaforth for game two of their WOAA semi final series and skated to a hard fought 6-3 win to close the series and qualify for the finals.
Past results have showed this team to be slow out of the gates and pick up momentum throughout the game. They flipped the script in this one with Lewis Nichol picking up a loose puck in the crease and firing it home less than a minute in to take a 1-0 lead. Two shifts later it was a booming shot from the point by Max Zilliax set up by a beautiful feed from Maddox Birk. They added another tally late in the third to stretch the lead to 3-0 through one period of play.
Head coach Mat Harrison warned the boys that it wouldn't be easy and not to take their foot off the gas and boy was he right with Seaforth coming out flying in the second scoring midway through the period to close the gap to 3-1. The Cycs had trouble sustaining pressure in the Stars end with most of the play in the period muddled in the neutral zone.
The third started well for Listowel as Hudson Williams tipped in Gray Parkhouse's seeing eye shot from the point after a great set up by Ian Magee from the corner. There was no quit in Seaforth though as they capitalized on some uncharacteristic defensive breakdowns by the Cycs and narrowed the gap to 4-3. After the 3rd Seaforth goal Luke Strickler took the puck off the faceoff, flew past the Stars defence and roofed it to restore a two goal lead. Goalie Declan McCarthur made a couple of huge saves on breakaways in the third and the defence of Parkhouse, Zilliax, Kaden Neves, Seth Cameron and Matty Williams held strong as Seaforth applied offensive pressure. A late penalty to Listowel and the goalie pulled gave Seaforth a 6 on 4 advantage as they hoped to get it back to a one goal game. Ripken Harrison picked off a pass in the defensive zone and fed Hudson Williams cutting out of the zone who buried it into the open cage and cement the win for the visitors.
it was a great series with Seaforth, the fans on both sides were great and both teams should be proud of their efforts.
The U9 Reps now await the winner of the Saugeen Shores Storm and Walkerton Capitals series to see who they play in the WOAA Finals.