Cougars late charge not enough, fall below .500

October 21, 2015 · 0 Comments

Justin Formenton earned two assists in the Schomberg Cougars 5-3 loss to the Midland Flyers at home last Thursday.

By Jake Courtepatte
The Junior C Schomberg Cougars have hit an early season slump after a positive start to the Georgian Mid-Ontario Hockey League season.
They faced a challenge in Thursday’s home match up with the Midland Flyers, a team that has surprised the league with a one-year turnaround from the basement of the standings to become a top contender.
Evan Woodhead and Blake Culley helped the Cougars jump out to a 2-0 lead in the first, but were swiftly countered by two of Midland’s own to tie the game in the second. Joseph Mete notched one on the power play mid-way through the second to regain the lead for Schomberg.
Just minutes after the goal, a slash by Kiefer McIntosh and a retaliation from a Midland player resulted in a mele that would take close to 20 minutes for the referees to handle, resulting in six game ejections, including McIntosh, Mike Elia, and Derek Neilly. The scuff-up seemed to unwind the Schomberg bench, as the Cougars gave up three goals in the third period to succumb to the Flyers 5-3.

Loss to Otters

A back-and-forth affair in Huntsville the following night turned ugly for the Cougars late in the second period, with three unanswered goals sliding past goaltender Vince Michelizzi to give the Otters a 5-2 lead in the third.
Tanner Smith cut the lead to two with 13 minutes to play, followed by a shorthanded tally from team-leading scorer Ryley Egerton with just under five minutes to play. That would be as close as they would get, dropping the contest 5-4.
Michelizzi made 29 saves on 34 shots in the loss.
The latest additions to the loss column now mean Schomberg has won just one of their last five games, with only two wins coming in the month of October. On a positive note, the team’s goal production has continued to shine since reaching last season’s GMOHL final, currently third in the league in goals-for.
However, the same cannot be said for their power play numbers. Although impressive at even strength, the Cougars are last in the league in scoring on the power play, taking advantage of just over six per cent of opportunities this season.
Only one game is on the docket for the coming week, albeit a crucial one. On Thursday the Cougars will be looking to catch the Huntsville Otters on the standings page when they host them at the Trisan Centre, currently one win back of the Otters.
The team is 3-2-1 at home this year. Puck drop is at 8:30 p.m.
For stats, schedules, and more information, visit www.schombergcougars.com.