Cyclones knock wind out of Caledonia’s sails

The Caledonia Corvairs finally find themselves trailing in a series five rounds into the junior B hockey playoffs,

Wednesday night, the Midwestern Conference champion Listowel Cyclone jumped out to a three-goal lead and held on for a 4-3 victory over host Caledonia to take the opening game in the Sutherland Cup final.

Game 2 in the series to decide Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League championship is set for 7:30 p.m. Friday in Listowel with the action shifting back to Haldimand Centre in Caledonia for the third game Saturday, also beginning at 7:30 p.m.

Caleb Warren, with two goals; Cullen Mercer and Holdyn Lansink scored for the Cyclones who were outshot 32-27.

Sean O’Brien, former St. Catharines Falcon and Thorold Blackhawk Griffin Roubos and Jesse Barwell replied for the Corvairs. Penalty-killing units dominated play on special teams. Listowel finished the game 0-for-4 on the power play; Caledonia, 0-for-5. The Corvairs’ first loss in more than a month snapped a ninegame winning streak in postseason play for the five-time defending Golden Horseshoe champion’s. Caledonia’s last loss, and its only other in this year’s playoffs so far, was a 5-4 road loss to the Niagara Falls Canucks in conference semifinals Game 4. Caledonia went on to win that series in four games before sweeping St. Catharines in the conference final and the dethroning the reigning Sutherland Cup champion Elmira Sugar Kings in the Sutherland Cup semifinals. Caledonia is seeking its fourth Ontario junior B championship in five years. Listowel has yet to win a Sutherland Cup.