2014 OHL Cup Day 4 Results
Round-robin action wrapped up at the 2014 OHL Cup Showcase Tournament on Friday afternoon with 12 games on the schedule, here are the results:
Game 29: Mississauga Senators 4 vs. Ottawa Valley Titans 3 OT
The Mississauga Senators were forced to take a risk in overtime against the Ottawa Valley Titans and it paid off.
The Senators made a third period rally from down 3-1 to tie the game with goals from Matthew Danner and Joseph Ferlito.
In overtime, the Senators were unable to capitalize on a powerplay and with under a minute to go had to resort to desperate measures to keep their hopes of making the playoff round alive.
Mississauga pulled netminder Julian Sime as a tie would be of no help in the standings. The Titans sent a long shot down the ice at the empty net that missed and went for icing. Off the next faceoff, the Senators won the puck back to the point and Francesco Luca’s point shot was tipped in by Michael Pezzetta for the overtime winning goal.
“(Matthew) Danner won a great draw, Luca just shot it on net and we got a tip and it just happened to squeak through,” said Pezzetta following the game. “The win is over now, so we got to think about the next game and we’re going to carry onto the next one and get that win.”
Cabot MacKenzie had the other goal for the Senators, while Arik Breton, Tye Felhaber and Taylor egan had the goals for the Titans.
The player of the game honours went to Mississauga’s netminder Julian Sime and Ottawa Valley’s Samuel Meisenheimer.
Ottawa Valley ends round-robin play with a record of 2-2 and will have to wait and see if they move onto the playoff round.
Mississauga now has a win, a loss and a tie with one round-robin game remaining.
Game 30: Toronto Jr. Canadiens 6 vs. Team NOHA 0
The Toronto Jr. Canadiens entered Friday needing a big effort in their final two round-robin games.
The Jr. Canadiens got exactly the performance they needed in their first game of the day against the NOHA All-Stars.
Toronto controlled the majority of the game for a 6-0 victory. Justin Cmunt had a pair of goals for the Jr. Canadiens with Fedor Rudakov, Kyle Chypyha, David Sherman and Adam Timleck providing the other four goals.
Drake Rymsha of the Jr. Canadiens had two assists and was happy with how the effort his team displayed in a crucial game.
“We need a big day for a chance to play tomorrow and the boys came out good,” said Rymsha. “We had a slow second but in the intermission we regrouped and got together in the third and it came out good.”
Jr. Canadiens netminder Kristian Hufsky was in net for the shutout and had to be sharp when NOHA came out flying in the second period.
Toronto defencemen Nicholas Favaro was steady on the blue line and was named player of the game for his squad. NOHA forward Zachary Senecal was named his team’s player of the game.
The victory improves Toronto’s record to 2-1 with a game remaining, meanwhile NOHA’s tournament finishes with a record of 0-4.
Game 31: Toronto Marlboros 6 vs. Waterloo Wolves 1
The Toronto Marlboros hot streak at the OHL Cup continued Friday morning.
The Marlboros offense exploded to defeat the Waterloo Wolves 6-1.
Within the first 5:18 of the game, the Marlboros had jumped out to a 3-0 lead with goals from Blake Coffey, Jake Harris and Michael McLeod.
Matt Cairns added a goal in the final seconds of the first period to add to the lead.
The Marlboros didn’t let up the rest of the way with goals from Kyle Maksimovich and Taylor Raddysh in the second period to wrap up a 6-1 victory.
The Marlboros have outscored their opponents 13-5 through their first three games.
The Wolves lone offense came from big defencemen Logan Stanley late in the second period.
Maksimovich was named player of the game for Toronto with a goal and two assists. Waterloo’s player of the game went to defencemen Ethan Hebel.
The victory for the Marlboros improves their record to 3-0 with one round-robin game remaining.
The Wolves wrap up round-robin play with a record of 1-3, which won’t be good enough to make the playoff round.
Game 32: Thunder Bay Kings 2 vs. Vaughan Kings 1 OT
Evan Krassey was the overtime hero to keep the Thunder Bay King’s playoff round hopes alive.
Thunder Bay and Vaughan entered their Friday morning game both searching for a victory to improve their chances at advancing in the OHL Cup.
The two teams went back and forth in a high speed duel.
Both teams couldn’t find the back of the net until halfway through the game when the teams exchanged goals in a span of 44 seconds.
Thunder Bay’s Brendan Gillis opened the scoring but was quickly replied by Vaughan’s Connor Lamont.
The two second period goals held up sending the game to overtime.
The Thunder Bay Kings needed a victory and two points to stay in the playoff picture, but Vaughan controlled the majority of overtime deep into the final minute.
Despite Vaughan having an offensive zone faceoff with 30 seconds remaining, Thunder Bay was able to spring away on a partial three on one.
Evan Krassey led the rush into the Vaughan zone and made a pass that was blocked only to have the puck slide back onto his stick allowing him to fire it home for the game winner.
“I was trying to cover (Adam) Mascherin and my buddy (Bradley) Belisle passed it up to me and I noticed there was no defence there so I kept going,” said Krassey. “I tried to pass it over to (Brendan) Gillis and it right came right back onto my tape and I put her in.”
Krassey said luck finally turned the right way for his direction on the play.
Thunder Bay defencemen Troy Williams and Vaughan forward Connor Lamont were named players of the game.
Thunder Bay wraps up round-robin play with two wins and two losses and will have to wait for the results of the final games in their division to find out if they advance. Vaughan’s record is now 1-1-1, meaning a victory in their final round-robin game with secure a playoff spot.
Game 33: Southern Tier Admirals 3 vs. Elite Hockey Group 2 OT
The Southern Tier Admirals ended their 2014 OHL Cup in dramatic fashion with a 3-2 overtime victory against the Elite Hockey Group.
Southern Tier forward Reid Yochim snapped home the game winning goal to end the Admirals tournament on a high note and eliminate any chance for Elite Hockey to move on.
“I didn’t have anywhere to go behind the net, so I turned it up looked for a guy at the point and fed it to him,” said Yochim. “He didn’t take the shot and luckily gave it back to me and I just tried to get a shot on net and it went in.”
Elite Hockey took the early lead from AJ Drobot’s second goal of the tournament. Southern Tier countered back with goals from Christian Girhiny and Peter Falivena before Elite’s Gary Prince tied the game in the third period.
Yochim’s overtime goal came less than a minute into the extra frame.
With the loss Elite Hockey’s tournament ends with a record of 1-3. Southern Tier’s victory ends their tournament with a record of 2-2.
Game 34: Chatham-Kent Cyclones 3 vs. Peterborough Petes 3
Normally a tie isn’t the most satisfying way to end a hockey game, but for Chatham-Kent a tie was all they needed to clinch first place in their division.
The Chatham-Kent Cyclones trailed the Peterborough Petes 3-2 in the final minute of the third period, but their leading scorer saved the day. Jarrett Marks finished off a scramble in front for his fifth goal of the tournament and the equalizer sending the game to overtime.
Peterborough had the better chances in overtime, looking for their first win of the tournament, but Chatham-Kent’s defence and netminder Joseph Raaymakers slamed the door shut.
Raaymakers said his team was confident they would be able to hold on in overtime.
“We’ve been in that situation many times before and we knew how to handle it,” said Raaymakers. “Our coach really helped us out and showed us what to do and the boys were blocking shots.”
Along with Marks game tying goal, the Cyclones got offense from Brady Pataki and Nick Delyzer, who was named player of the game for Chatham-Kent.
Peterborough’s goal scorers were Max Kislinger, Jon Campbell and Cole Robbins.
The Petes player of the game award went to forward Max Moloney.
The tie was Peterborough’s third draw of the tournament to go with one loss. The Petes finish the tournament with three points, not enough to advance to the quarter-finals.
The point earned for the Cyclones pushes them to five points and clinches first place in their division. They finish the round-robin round with a record of 2-1-1.
Game 35: North York Rangers 4 vs. Hamilton Jr. Bulldogs 3
The North York Rangers made sure to jump on the Hamilton Jr. Bulldogs early.
The Rangers took a 3-0 lead in the first period with goals from Oliver Strasser, William Calverley and Lucas Colalilo.
In period two, the Jr. Bulldogs woke up and fired back with two goals from Mitchell Rooney and Johnathon Schaefer to draw within a goal.
However, the Rangers got a much needed insurance marker from Daniil Vertiy before the end of the second period to lead 4-2 heading into the third period.
Hamilton’s Noah Matteson got them back to within a goal early in the period, but the Rangers defence and netminder Michael Botiz held them off for a 4-3 victory.
Vertiy said after the game his team knew the Bulldogs were going to be a tough test.
“They are a really good team, probably top five in Ontario, we just played a system and like a team and we won,” said Vertiy. “We were battling for every inch on the ice and we played for each other.”
The player of the game honours went to the Rangers netminder Botiz and the Jr. Bulldogs forward Brendan D’Agostino.
Both teams finish round-robin play at 2-2 and will have to wait and see how the remainder of the division plays out before a playoff berth is confirmed.
Game 36: TPH Thunder 3 vs. Whitby Wildcats 2
The Whitby Wildcats ticket to the quarter-finals was already booked entering their final round-robin game.
However, their opponents, the TPH Thunder, still had plenty to play for and it showed on the ice.
The Thunder fell behind early but countered back with two goals scored by David Schmidling and Matthew Jakubowski.
Whitby tied the game in the third period, but with less than four minutes to go in the period Benjamin Schmidling scored on the power play. The goal held up to be the game winning goal for a 3-2 TPH victory.
“We kind of came out a little weak the first couple games here, different kind of style and a couple battles with injuries,” Benjamin Schmidling said following the game. “Knowing they hadn’t lost yet, we just came in and knew we had to hit them and use our speed and use the things that work to our advantage.”
Schmidling was named player of the game for the Thunder, while Whitby’s recipient was netminder Cooper Howieson.
The Wildcats got their offense from Steven Elliot and Mitchell Martan.
Whitby finishes round-robin play with a record of 2-1-1 and a spot in the quarter-finals, while TPH wraps up round-robin play with a record of 2-2 and will have to wait and see if they advance to the playoff round.
Game 37: Mississauga Senators 2 vs. South Central Coyotes 0
The scenario was simple for the Mississauga Senators and South Central Coyotes win and you’re in.
Both teams entered their final round-robin game tied in the standings with two points securing a playoff round spot.
The two teams dueled in a low scoring affair with the Senators prevailing 2-0.
Senators forward Michael Pezzetta opened the scoring, with what was the eventual game winner, midway through the second period on a shorthanded opportunity.
In the third period, the Coyotes turned up the pressure, but Senators netminder Julian Sime was brilliant to pick up a shutout and backstop his team to the playoffs.
“There weren’t any nerves because we have been in situations like this before,” said Sime following the game. “The team knew what we had to do and we came out hard.”
Sime’s shutout helped him earn player of the game for the Senators. The Coyotes award went to defencemen Kyle Gentles.
Mississauga forward Grayden Gottschalk sealed the victory with an empty-net goal in the final minute.
The Senators finish round-robin play with a record of 2-1-1, which matches the same record as the Chatham-Kent Cyclones. However, the Cyclones defeated the Senators in round-robin play and therefore finish first in the division.
South Central’s OHL Cup finishes with a record of 1-2-1.
Game 38: Toronto Jr. Canadiens 3 vs. Ottawa Jr. 67’s 2
The Toronto Jr. Canadiens and Ottawa Jr. 67’s put on a display of high speed and intensity to close out round-robin play.
The Jr. 67’s entered the game with a spot in the quarter-finals clinched, but playing for first place in the division. As for the Jr. Canadiens, they needed a win or tie to secure a spot in the quarter-finals.
After falling behind 2-0 in the second period, the Jr. Canadiens rallied with three unanswered goals to win 3-2.
Adam Timleck, Mitchelle Byrne and David Sherman were the three goal scorers for the Jr. Canadiens.
Byrne following the game said his team played a simple style of game for the victory.
“Get pucks in, get shots on net, that’s what we’ve been winning in this tournament by with two big guys out,” said Byrne. “You know we got a bunch of grinders out there scoring goals and that’s what we love.”
Byrne was named player of the game for the Jr. Canadiens, while Ottawa’s award went to forward Alexandre Way.
Ottawa’s goals scorers in the loss were Brad Brule and Jacob Ramalho.
Both teams finish round-robin play with 3-1 records; however the Jr. Canadiens finish first in their division with the tie-breaker being the head-to-head result.
Game 39: Toronto Marlboros 4 vs. Guelph Gryphons 4
The Toronto Marlboros and Guelph Gryphons played to a 4-4 tie in their final round-robin games.
First place was up for grabs with both teams having already clinched a spot in the quarter-finals.
After the Marlboros grabbed an early 1-0 lead, the Gryphons answered back with three goals in a row to lead 3-1 early in the second period.
The Marlboros were able to erase the lead quickly and take control heading to the third period leading 4-3.
In the third period, the Gryphons Josh Ciccia tied the game with less than four minutes to go setting the stage for overtime.
Both teams in overtime had a couple chances, but a game-winner was not found ending the game in the third tie of the tournament.
Taylor Raddysh, Cliff Pu, Michael McLeod and Nic Sicoly had the goals for the Marlboros.
Connor Bunnaman, Austen Keating and Giordano Finoro each had a goal to go along with Ciccia’s game tying goal.
The players of the game went to the Marlboros defencemen Quinn Hughes and the Gryphons netminder Rob Stacy.
Both teams advance to the quarter-finals with the Marlboros finishing in first place with a record of 3-0-1.
Guelph finishes round-robin play with a record of 2-1-1.
Game 40: Vaughan Kings 2 vs. Kitchener Jr. Rangers 1
The Vaughan Kings delivered a 2-1 victory over the Kitchener Jr. Rangers in their final round-robin game to clinch a berth in the OHL Cup quarter-finals.
The Kings James Ranson and Liam Winslow both scored in the first period to give the Kings control.
The Jr. Rangers got on the board in the first minute of the third period with a goal from defencemen Nic Hague.
Kitchener continued to gain momentum through the third period but couldn’t beat Kings netminder Griffen Coutts.
Winslow said following the game his team rebounded nicely from a loss earlier in the day.
“We came back with a good effort today, especially with scoring a quick goal,” said Winslow. “Even when they scored their goal we tried to get the momentum back and our goaltender really helped us out back there.”
James Ranson was named player of the game for the Kings, while Kitchener defencemen Ben Allen was named their recipient.
Vaughan finishes the round-robin with a record of 2-1-1 and first in their division.
The Kitchener Jr. Rangers do not advance to the playoff round and end their tournament with a record of 1-3.
Quarter-Final Matchups – Saturday March 15
10:00 am – Mississauga Senators (2nd Division 2) vs. Toronto Marlboros (1st Division 3)
10:30 am – Guelph Gryphons (2nd Division 3) vs. Chatham-Kent Cyclones (1st Division 2)
11:45 am – Ottawa Jr. 67’s (2nd Division 1) vs. Vaughan Kings (1st Division 4)
12:15 pm – Whitby Wildcats (2nd Division 4) vs. Toronto Jr. Canadiens (1st Division 1)
Click here for tournament standings
Click here for tournament top scorers
Recaps written by Mark McKelvie
