OHL Cup Quarter-Finals set for Saturday
Saturday March 21, 2015
After 40 round-robin games at the 2015 OHL Cup Showcase Tournament the top eight teams in Ontario have emerged and are now just three wins away from minor midget supremacy.
The GTHL’s Don Mills Flyers and Toronto Jr. Canadiens both advanced to the playoff round with perfect 4-0-0 records atop the Shanahan and Subban Divisions respectively, while the ALLIANCE’s London Jr. Knights also remain undefeated with a 3-0-1 record to lead the Lindros Division.
For the first time in OHL Cup history, a three-way tie occurred in the Nash Division between the Toronto Marlboros, the OEMHL’s Ottawa Jr. 67’s, and the Mississauga Reps all with equal 3-1-0 records. The tie was broken by taking a goals for and against formula [GF/(GF+GA)] determining the Marlboros and 67’s to be the top two teams respectively.
The OMHA’s Quinte Red Devils advanced through the Lindros Division with a 3-1-0 record, while the ALLIANCE’s Kitchener Jr. Rangers and Waterloo Wolves both with 2-2-0 records advanced in the Subban and Shanahan Divisions to round out the playof field.
The Kitchener Jr. Rangers will be playing their second straight must-win game after needing a victory over the York Simcoe Express to advance in the Subban Division. Led by captain Jason Willms who has eight points in four games, they face the Don Mills Flyers who entered the tournament the second ranked club and have been led by Bryce Misley with five points thus far in OHL Cup scoring and backstopped by Mathew Woroniuk who has a pair of shutouts.
The Toronto Jr. Canadiens have had a high powered offense thus far tied for the tournament lead with 18 goals scored led by Mathew Rehding with eight points in four games. They’ll put their undefeated streak on the line against the Waterloo Wolves who enter the playoff round following a disappointing 1-0 loss to the Flyers on Friday morning. Noah Benjamin and Sullivan Sparkes both have three goals and three assists to pace the Wolves offense.
OHL Cup leading scorer Greg Meireles with nine points in four games will try and lead the Ottawa Jr. 67’s to the Semi-Finals for the second straight season up against the London Jr. Knights who have yet to lose this week. Max Vinogradov leads their attack with four goals and two assists while goaltender Aidan Hughes boasts a goals-against-average under 1.00.
A battle of league champions caps off the Quarter-Final contests with the GTHL’s Toronto Marlies against the OMHA’s Quinte Red Devils. The matchup also features the tournament’s top goal scorers with the Marlies CJ Clarke and Quinte’s Aidan McFarland both with five markers in four games. Both teams have excelled under pressure winning their respective league finals in overtime and emerged victorious on Friday in must-win situations.
Semi-Final action also takes place on Saturday night, with the Championship Final set for Monday night.
2015 OHL Cup Playoff Schedule:
Saturday March 21:
Quarter-Final 1:
10:00 am – Kitchener Jr. Rangers (2nd Subban Division) vs. Don Mills Flyers (1st Shanahan Division) Buckingham Rink 2
Quarter-Final 2:
10:30 am – Waterloo Wolves (2nd Shanahan Division) vs. Toronto Jr. Canadiens (1st Subban Division) Buckingham Rink 1
Quarter-Final 3:
11:45 am – Ottawa Jr. 67’s (2nd Nash Division) vs. London Jr. Knights (1st Lindros Division) Buckingham Rink 2
Quarter-Final 4:
12:15 pm – Quinte Red Devils (2nd Lindros Division) vs. Toronto Marlboros (1st Nash Division) Buckingham Rink 1
Semi-Final 1:
6:00 pm – Winner Quarter-Final 2 vs. Winner Quarter-Final 1 at Buckingham Rink 1*
Semi-Final 2:
8:00 pm – Winner Quarter-Final 4 vs. Winner Quarter-Final 3 at Buckingham Rink 1*
*Broadcast LIVE on Rogers TV Toronto and OHL Action Pak 437
Monday March 23:
Championship Final:
7:30 pm – Winner Semi-Final 1 vs. Winner Semi-Final 2 at Mattamy Athletic Centre**
**Broadcast LIVE on Sportsnet ONE
