Facing off against the league leading Oakridge Aeros
Saturday in London, the INSURANCE CENTRAL Minor PeeWee MD Warriors knew they
had to bring their “A” game if they were going to hand Oakridge their second
loss of the year, and their first home loss.
The game started on the wrong foot for the Warriors, with a screened point shot evading goaltender Jacob Ford just under 30 seconds into the game. Not allowing the goal to get them down, the Stratford players picked up the pace, with the result being a seesaw game with scoring chances at both ends. Ford closed the door, making a number of strong saves, allowing Stratford to tie the game just before the halfway mark of the second period. A great effort by Cole McKay put Simon Northmore in the clear. Northmore (Connor Franke, McKay) made no mistake and rifled a wrist shot into the top corner.
The teams remained tied until late in the 3rd when Stratford went on the power-play off a roughing penalty to Oakridge. Jacob Ney took a nice shot from the point that handcuffed the Oakridge goaltender. Going hard to the net, Nathan Ferguson (Michael Cossey, Ney) was able to track down the rebound and slide the puck into the goal. Stratford sealed the victory when Peter Williams (Cossey, Sean Dolan), combining curling and hockey, shot a puck from the Warriors’ zone, that flipped on its side, curled, and rolled down the ice into the just-vacated Oakridge goal.
The team finishes the regular season this coming Thursday when they visit the London Bandits. They then head to St. Catherines for their last tournament of the year, before starting play-offs on February 16th.