KINGS’ STREAK HALTED AT 12 IN LOSS TO LISTOWEL
After loss to Listowel, Elmira bounces back with victory over Brampton to start the ball rolling
ATTEMPTING TO EXTEND THEIR streak to a baker’s dozen, the Elmira Sugar Kings came up short last weekend by falling 4-3 to Listowel.
It was still a two-point weekend, however, with the team posting a 3-1 win against Brampton on Sunday night at home.
Head coach Ty Canal says Friday night’s game was a good test for the Kings in a playoff-style, fast paced game. The guys just couldn’t get ahead.
“I thought we battled all right, but there are still some things in that game that our guys know that we have to improve on and puck protection is one of them, and turnovers,” he said. “We had some scoring chances late in the third, but their goalie made a really nice save on Ethan Skinner with about four seconds left. That would have tied it up.”
Listowel’s Keaton Willis started scoring in the first frame with a goal from Holdyn Lansink and Jakob Lee. Zack Cameron fired back for the Sugar Kings, with a goal less than a minute later, tying it up.
In the second, Listowel’s Mitch Deelstra scored the only goal of the period, from Ryley Cribbin and Willis.
Skinner helped Elmira catch up at the start of the third, with an unassisted marker at 1:23. Lee, from Lansink, gave Listowel the lead again, and Deelstra, from Cribbin and Blair Jenkins secured the win for the Cyclones. Ty Biles, brought the lead down to one goal, with help from Matt Murray and Klayton Hoelscher.
Sunday night, the Kings were back on home ice, hosting the Brampton Bombers. Play was scattered and frankly, a bit sloppy, says Canal. The team just couldn’t seem to get a handle on the game. The Kings still took the win, however.
“I don’t know what that was. It was just one after another. Our guys just couldn’t seem to, for whatever reason, get into a type of rhythm. I didn’t think that they were playing the type of hockey that we want to play. I don’t know what it was, maybe it was because it was after a loss,” said Canal. “It was uncharacteristic of us a bit. But, we got the two points, and so there was some good things out of that game. But we just didn’t have the flow or the speed like we wanted. Nothing seemed to come together.”
The first period was scoreless. Jake Brown, from Josh Slegers and Quinten Bruce, tallied a goal in the second period on the pow-
four of their key players.
“I was out my big middle to an ankle injury. We fought hard, and I had three of my other guys away for a hockey tournament. We have beaten them before pretty handily, which made it difficult, especially without our big middle to shut them down, I knew it was going to be difficult. Without my three hockey guys, it was a challenge, but I have a pretty good bench,” she said. “The one thing we do have is heart and there was a lot of that. It just wasn’t enough for that game. It went as well as could be expected.”
The team is losing six of its players next year to the senior Lancers, should the boys choose to continue playing, but Gerth says she can’t wait to see how her Grade 9 players will do next year.
“I have quite a few guys left. I am really looking forward to what they can do. I have some great athletes, and they have all learned and gotten a lot better. I expect them to get a lot better still,” she said. “Stephan Wichers, our middle that plays club, he’ll be back. He plays for the Kitchener Predators. I coach the Predator clubs as well. He still has some learning to do, but he’s definitely a key part of that team.”
When comparing the beginning of the season to now, Gerth says she has seen immense growth in the team and its players.
“At the beginning of the year, I made them fill out a sheet asking what are your goals, and what they expect from me as a coach. One of the things that I really harp on is that we get better every day and they did,” she shared. “At the end of each practice or game, I ask them what we did right, and what they think we have to work on and at the beginning of the year, it started with me telling them what they did right, and what needs work. By midseason, I would ask, and they would know.”