Cougars’ road struggles continue over weekend

November 25, 2015 · 0 Comments

Vince Michelizzi stopped 35 of the 40 pucks he faced against the Stayner Siskins on Sunday, but the team could manage only a 5-5 tie. The Schomberg Cougars went 1-1-1 over the weekend.
By Jake Courtepatte
Schomberg Cougars fans that have only seen their favourite Junior C club play on home ice this year are probably wondering why they are so low on the GMOHL standings.
It is true that the Cougars have been a completely different team on the road than they are at the Trisan Centre – they took it to the Orillia Terriers at home on Thursday, using three-straight goals in the third period to walk away with a high-shooting 4-2 win.

Kings overpower

But it was a different story in Penetang on Friday. The Kings bested goaltender Vince Michelizzi twice by the mid-way point of the first period, before Mike Elia and Evan Woodhead breathed some life into the Cougars by tying it at two after one.
It was in the second period that Penetang notched four straight goals in just over eight minutes, chasing Michelizzi from the net and putting the game out of reach even before the final 20 minutes.
Both teams added one more in the third, Schomberg’s off the stick of JP Crescenzi, for a final score of 7-3.

Tie with Stayner

In their third game in four days, Michelizzi was back between the pipes facing the Stayner Siskins on the road Sunday.
Woodhead and Crescenzi opened the scoring for a two-goal cushion, and Ryley Egerton added another before the buzzer to lead 3-0.
The celebration didn’t last, though. Eight minutes into the second, the score was tied, and the Cougars were on their heels. They managed to take a 5-4 lead into the third.
The Cougars did all they could to shoot themselves in the foot in the third period, first with Egerton going off for hooking with just five minutes to play. One minute later, Justin Formenton was kicked from the game for a shot to the head, giving Stayner the man advantage for the final five minutes of regulation.
With 49 seconds to go in the game, Siskins forward Ben Skuce notched the tying goal on a 6-on-4 to send the game to overtime.
Neither team mounted much offence in the extra frame and the game ended in a 5-5 tie.
Special teams were the factor in the decision, with seven of the 10 goals coming by way of a man advantage. All but one of Stayner’s goals were scored on the power play.
“It’s something that’s been happening all year,” said Crescenzi after the game. “We’ve got to come together and work on it as a team. For the most part it was okay, we had the lead for a little bit but it was just unfortunate at the end.”
In picking up three points of a possible six over the weekend, Schomberg remains in seventh place in the nine-team league, holding on to a record of 8-11-2. A loss and a tie on the road this weekend, however, is indicative of their woes in away games this season.
Only one win has come on the road this year, a 5 – 3 decision in Orillia early in October.
The Cougars could improve their stock with a win at home this Thursday against the red-hot Caledon Golden Hawks, who have turned around a dismal season and now sit one point up on Schomberg. They visit Orillia (3-19-1) for the final time this season on Sunday.
For stats, schedules, and more information, visit www.schombergcougars.com.