Caledonia opens series with win in overtime

Former Thorold Blackhawk and one-time St. Catharines Falcon Griffin Roubos’ goal 17:38 in the first overtime game gave the Caledonia Corvairs a 5-4 victory over the visiting Elmira Sugar Kings Wednesday night.

Adam Craievich and Owen Lane each scored twice in regulation for Caledonia in the opening game in best-of-seven Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League Sutherland Cup semifinal.

Jeff Jordan, Ethan McKay, Ethan Skinner and Brody Waters replied for the defending Ontario junior B champion Sugar Kings who trailed the game 3-1 at one point and were outshot 56-33. Elmira went 1-for-5 on the power play and scored a shorthanded goal. Caledonia finished the game 0-for-5 with a man advantage. Game 2 in a rematch of last year’s Sutherland Cup semifinal was Thursday night in Elmira.

In the 2016-17 Sutherland Cup playoffs the Sugar Kings defeated Caledonia in six games going on to take the title in five games against the London Nationals. London doubled the visiting Listowel Cyclones 4-3 in double overtime in the opening game of the other Sutherland Cup final. Elmira advanced to the four-team tournament as the wild card for the second year in a row. Caledonia, which swept St. Catharines four games to none to win the Golden Horseshoe Conference championship for the fifth consecutive year, is seeking its fourth league title in five years.