Schomberg Cougars draw Alliston in first round of GMOHL playoffs

February 3, 2016 · 0 Comments

By Jake Courtepatte
The Schomberg Cougars are in tough for the first round of the Georgian Mid-Ontario Hockey League playoffs.
Real tough.
Following a pair of losses in the final weekend of regular season play, the Cougars have dropped into the eighth and final playoff position, setting a match-up with the reigning champion Alliston Hornets.
If regular season records are any indication, the Cougars went 0-5-0 against the Hornets this season, losing by a combined score of 21-8. Those final two losses of the season both came at the hands of the Hornets, a 5-3 loss at the Trisan Centre on Thursday followed by a 3-0 shutout in Alliston’s New Tecumseth Rec Centre on Sunday.
The Erin Shamrocks pulled ahead of the Cougars on the final day of action, breathing a sigh of relief in a narrow 4-3 win over the Orillia Terriers Sunday.
The Hornets are fresh off one of the best seasons ever seen in the Junior C league. With a record of 35-2-3, they finished miles ahead of the competition, an astonishing 29 points ahead of the second-place Huntsville Otters.
Schomberg, meanwhile, is closing in on one month since they last won a game.
It does promise to be an interesting series though, as there is some bad blood between these two teams. Schomberg was a surprise contender in GMOHL playoffs last season, losing just two games through the first two series’ as the sixth-ranked squad before meeting the Hornets in the league final.
Alliston squashed the Cougars in four games.
Game one was played Wednesday (results unavailable at press time), with the seven-game series kicking off at New Tec Rec. From there the teams alternate home ice, returning to Schomberg Thursday night at 8:30 p.m.
Schomberg’s away record of 3-15-2 is the lowest in the league. Their last win on the road came on Dec. 20 against the Caledon Golden Hawks.
Game three returns to Alliston Feb. 7 at 7 p.m., and game four in Schomberg at 7:30 p.m. If needed, game five is in Alliston Feb. 10, game six Feb. 11 in Schomberg, and game seven Feb. 14 in Alliston.
Elsewhere around the league, the number-two Otters face the number-seven Shamrocks, the number-three Stayner Siskins face the number-six Golden Hawks, and the number-four Midland Flyers face the number-five Penetang Kings.
For stats, schedules, and more information, visit www.schombergcougars.com.