Cougars continue up-and-down season with weekend split

October 14, 2015 · 0 Comments

By Jake Courtepatte
The Schomberg Cougars are used to the middle of the pack in the Georgian Mid-Ontario Junior Hockey League, and this season has not proved any different.
Forced to face the Midland Flyers for the second time in as many games on Thursday night, the Cougars were in tough against the league’s most successful turnaround team. But it was Schomberg who badly outplayed the Flyers in the opening frame, with Linden Sturrock scoring his first goal in a Cougars uniform having just joined the roster last week.
Midland countered by putting one past goaltender Martin Lauzon near the end of the period, just seconds after Schomberg sniper JP Crescenzi was kicked from the game for a hard hit from behind.
Lauzon stood tall to stop 22 more shots over the remaining 40 minutes, matched by his Midland counterpart who was having a similarly stellar game.
But it was Midland who took two points out of the match when Steven Pickard found the back of the net just over three minutes into overtime.
It was in Orillia on Saturday that the Cougars were able to halt their short, two-game losing skid, playing a Terriers team fresh off their first win of the season.
Crescenzi scored twice in a back-and-forth effort throughout the first two periods, the two teams deadlocked at three apiece in the third.
Kiefer McIntosh gave the Cougars their first lead of the game with just under 15 minutes remaining, a lead they would hold thanks to a strong backstopping effort by Vince Michelizzi. He stopped 17 Orillia chances in the final frame, while team leading scorer Joseph Mete buried an empty-netter with seconds remaining to seal a 5-3 victory for Schomberg.
One month into play, the Cougars have both outmatched and been outmatched by their opponents, sitting at a comfortable 4-4-1 record through their first nine games.
What has been impressive, however, is their ability to score goals. Their offensive production in last year’s Cinderella playoff run has continued into this season, notching 30 goals so far, good for second in the league.
Despite a strong team showing overall, this has come about on the backs of the team’s seasoned veterans.
Mete, who had a breakout season with the Cougars last year, has stepped up to a point a game production so far in 2015-16.
His often linemate Ryley Egerton has bounced back from an underperforming 2014-15 to similar production this year, his third with the club.
They see Midland for the third time in four games this Thursday, hosting the Flyers at the Trisan Centre. The team heads to Huntsville to do battle with the Otters the following night.
For stats, schedules, and more information, visit www.schombergcougars.com.

The Schomberg Cougars celebrated a 5-3 win on the road Saturday over the Orillia Terriers.