Tough week’s schedule proves too much for Cougars

October 29, 2014 · 0 Comments

Taylor Ewart makes a glove save on an Alliston Hornet player last Friday. Despite giving up only five goals over two games this week, the Cougars lost both.
By Jake Courtepatte
After falling to Penetang at their home rink a week earlier, the Cougars hosted the Kings at the Trisan Centre last Thursday in a back-to-back with the league’s top team.
The Cougars were able to put 36 shots on net, but the high-flying Kings’ offence proved too much for the Schomberg squad. League scoring leader Craig Robinson led the way with two goals in a 4-2 Penetang win.
Although he picked up the loss, goaltender Taylor Ewart was solid between the pipes making 27 stops on 30 shots.
A raucous crowd was on hand Friday at the New Tecumseh Centre in Alliston as their hometown Hornets welcomed the Cougars.
Despite giving up a quick goal to the second-place Hornets, the Cougars showed defensive signs of success early.
After the Cougars’ first power play of the game, the penalized Hornet came out of the box for a clear 2-on-1, but a nice quick glove save by Ewart kept the game close.
Killing off a penalty of their own later in the period, Ryley Egerton provided some inspiration for his team as he was on the puck for almost a full shift spent mostly in the Alliston end.
The first period ended under some confusion. With under a minute to go, Francesco Corona threw the puck out to JP Crescenzi from behind the net, who thought he buried his sixth of the year.
With his hands in the air, he was tackled by a Hornet defenceman, and the play was ruled a no goal.
The game turned chippy mid-way through the second when Ryan Lewis of the Hornets laid a blatant hit from behind on a Cougar player, sparking a fiasco that would stop play for more than 15 minutes.
When the smoke cleared, five misconducts had been handed out, three majors, and 41 minutes in penalties.
Despite four power plays in the third frame, the Cougars were not able to register a shot in the period. Meanwhile, the Hornets had one shot in net in what became less of a hockey game and more of a wrestling match.
Alliston added one more with thirty seconds left to take the game by a final score of 2-0.
The Cougars looked to be on pace once again after a slow start to the season, earning four wins in a row in late September. However, this four-game losing skid has sent their record back below the .500 level.
On a positive note, they remain right in the thick of the GMOHL standings as only four points separate third and eight place.
The team takes their game on the road this week, heading up north on both Thursday and Saturday to face the Stayner Siskins and Orillia Terriers respectively.
More stats, schedules, and more information, visit www.schombergcougars.com.