The U14 Stratford Warriors faced London Jr Mustangs Purple for the semi-finals of the Bristol playoffs. With the series tied 2-2, Game 5 could go either way. Stratford wanted it - and earned it.
Game 1 started in London. Stratford came out strong scoring twice in the first period. Goal scorers were Cole Hishon and Ty Wheeler. The second period showed lots of back and forth play, with no goals scored by either team. Stratford turned it up in the third period, netting 3 more unanswered goals, by Charlie Holloway, Blake Lalande and Casen deGraaf. Stratford finished on top, 5-0 taking game 1. Netminder Ethan Walters remained poised in the crease and earned the shut-out.
Game 2, back on home ice, the Warriors were looking to shut London down once again. Wheeler scored early, assisted by Colten Brenzil and Holloway, and got Stratford on the game sheet. Stratford was able to hang on to the lead through the first period. The Warriors took advantage of London’s penalties in the second period, scoring a power play goal by Tim Kraayenbrink, assisted by Wheeler. London answered back, adding a goal of their own, ending period two with Stratford up 2-1. The third period saw lots of action in both penalty boxes. Stratford’s Wheeler took advantage of a frustrated Mustang team, and netted his second of the game to secure the lead. London added another goal, but were unable to shut down the Warriors game. Goaltender Jake Taylor was strong between the pipes.
Game 3, Stratford traveled back to Medway arena in hopes of sweeping the series. The Mustangs were not going to go away easily. London owned the first period, netting two goals ending the period 2-0. The Warriors answered back quickly in the second, with Wheeler scoring on the powerplay to shorten the lead to 2-1. The second period was scoreless, with both sides racking up many penalty minutes. The Warriors played hard in the third, hitting posts and merely missing on several shots. Unfortunately, London added another goal to end the game 3-1, adding two points to the series.
Game 4, the Warriors were back home, hoping to finish the series to advance to the finals. Unfortunately, Stratford was unable to shut the Mustangs down, and lost 8-3. Goal scorers were Blake Lalande, Mason Bauld and deGraaf in the loss. With the series now tied 2-2, Stratford will have to dig deep in game 5 to continue the season.
Game 5 - a must win game for the Warriors to continue on to the Bristol Finals. Stratford fans packed the tight seating at Medway arena, chanting and cheering for their team. Stratford wanted this game, and it was obvious from the first puck drop. The Warriors were first to the puck, strong in the corners and along the boards, passing tape to tape, and finding the back of London's net. Stratfords Wheeler opened the scoring, bringing the fans to their feet. Brenzil netted Stratford’s second goal to give Stratford the 2-0 lead at the end of one period of play. Stratford was able to hold London to just a few shots on net for the second period. Goalie Ethan Walters remained focused in the crease. Stratford utilized the trap effectively throughout the third period. With less than 4 mins to go, London pulled their goalie, adding an extra attacker to their force. Walters faced constant pressure from London, making many saves. London was able to capitalize with a lucky shot at just over 2 mins left to go. The London net remained empty for the remainder of the game and kept the pressure on Stratford. Stratford was able to freeze the puck to run the clock down to secure the win and advance in the series. Congratulations Warriors.
Stratford will verse the Woodstock Jr Navy Vets for the Bristol Championship Series starting March 22 in Stratford. Let's fill the seats! GO WARRIORS!!