Cougars plummeting in GMOHL standings after eighth straight loss

November 12, 2014 · 0 Comments

Schomberg’s Taylor Ewart picked up the loss last Thursday against the Huntsville Otters, giving up three goals on 12 shots in a 6-2 loss.
By Jake Courtepatte
Hard times have fallen on the Junior C Schomberg Cougars, who have now lost eight straight games and are winless in over a month.
This week’s games fell to the hands of the Huntsville Otters and the Stayner Siskins.
The Otters were in town last Thursday on their first trip of the season to Schomberg, although bad blood seemed to boil almost immediately.
Mid-way through the first, Nathan Sinclair got into a tussle with Huntsville’s Jamie Halnan after a check to the head by the Otters player. Otter Dalton Mceachran also earned a roughing minor on the play, sending the Cougars to the powerplay.
A cross-checking minor to the Otters shortly after gave the Cougars an extensive 5-on-3. However, it would work against them as Mceachran jumped out of the box as his penalty expired, taking a feed from his defenceman for the game’s first goal shorthanded.
The Otters added two more early in the second, prompting Cougars head coach Jim Egerton to pull goaltender Taylor Ewart in place if Alex Traikos. Ewart made nine stops on 12 shots.
Despite a two-goal performance from Declan Lampe, his first two points of the season, the game was never in reach as the Otters took it 6-2.
Otters goaltender Hunter Ferguson was named the game’s first star, as the Cougars only solved him twice while putting 46 shots on net.

Loss at home to Stayner

Monday they were back at home to take on the Stayner Siskins, who were riding their own kind of streak having won three games in a row.
Fortunately it was the Cougars who came out to play first, with Ian Reid breaking his scoreless slump of nine games by opening the scoring six minutes in.
Brandon Yorke continued his hot season five minutes later, picking up a power play goal on assists from Tristan Joseph and Francesco Corona to give the home team a 2-0 lead heading into first intermission.
But it was all Stayner in the second, putting up seventeen shots to Schomberg’s seven. Ewart had a stellar period, stopping all but one as the Tigers held on 2-1 at the second intermission.
He didn’t get much more help defensively in the third, as three quick goals squeaked by him to ensure a Siskin victory. Despite a late-game comeback attempt on a power play goal from Tanner Smith, the final score was Stayner 4, Schomberg 3.
A high point for the Cougars was the play of Sinclair, who earned two assists in only his fourth game as a Cougar.
A divide is beginning to open up in the GMOHL standings, as the Cougars struggle to stay afloat sitting third last with 13 points.
The Cougars will get a fighting chance to turn around their season this week, facing off against the 8-8-0 Orillia Terriers on Thursday night at home before heading to Midland the next day to face the basement-dwelling Midland Flyers.
Fans should make sure to be at the Trisan Centre Thursday for Schomberg Minor Hockey Night, when all SMHA players will be granted free admission to the game with a paying parent and a non-perishable food item. Ex-NHL star Curtis Joseph will be there before the game meeting fans and signing autographs. SMHA players are asked to wear team apparel to the game.
For stats, schedules, and more information, visit www.schombergcougars.com.