Tuesday
November 16. The Warriors were back in
the Forest City to take on perennial rival London Jr. Knights White.
Adeel Kara got the start between the pipes for Stratford. The first period was back and forth for the first 8 minutes. London struggled to get pucks to the net, but when they did, they took advantage and walked out of the first period with a 2-0 lead. The second period was more of the same from the Knights and they managed another two goals before the halfway point in the period to take a commanding 4-0 lead. AP goaltender Ryan McGill took over for the second half of P2 and turned away a few strong chances by the London forwards before letting one slip past to put the Warriors down 5-0. A late marker from Ryan Gansevles (Grady Murphy, Griffin McGregor) got Stratford on the board looking to mount a comeback in the third down 5-1. The next period saw London grab another goal to go push the lead to 6-1. With 8 minutes to play the London team found themselves taking trip after trip to the penalty box. Nathan Siebert scored on the PP off a nice dish in front from Colin Schultz to narrow the lead to 6-2. McGregor (Dawson White, Murphy) snapped one home on the PP to make it 6-3. The road team put pressure on late, but it was not their night, 6-3 would be the final.
Sunday November 21 saw Stratford back on the road, this time way down the 402 to Sarnia. Ryan McGill was between the pipes for the road Warriors. Murphy opened the scoring with a snipe from the wing, assisted by McGregor. Ben Medhurst made it 2-0 on a blast from the point off a pass from Siebert and Colin Schultz. The second was more of the same as Blair Stokes (Murphy, Siebert), Ryan Gansevles (Blake Hodgson, Ryan McGee) and Colin Schultz got in on the action to end the second with Stratford up 5-0. The Warriors kept pressing and peppered the Sarnia netminder throughout the third. Zach Schultz and Rylan Hall turned away any Sarnia forward that came their way. Goals from Stokes (Murphy) and McGregor (Schultz, Murphy) put the game away. Stratford 7, Sarnia 0.
The Cambridge Hawks were the opponent on November 27 and was the Warriors first game at the Rotary Complex this season. The Warriors took advantage of the larger surface and had the Hawks swirling early. A deflection off a skate from a Blake Hodgson shot off a pass from Whitey got the scoring started. A power play goal from McGregor (Schultz, Stokes) put the home team up 2-0 after one period. Despite solid play from Austin Musselman and Ellis Schnurr, the Hawks managed to slip a couple past McGill to tie the game at 2 just before the flood. McGregor struck again off the faceoff on a pass from Murphy to put the Warriors up 3-2 after 2 periods. Cambridge took advantage of a costly turnover early in the third and tied the game at 3. Halfway through the period a frenzy out front of the Cambridge net saw the puck go in and pop out quickly. Gansevles and Liam Ollson were battling Cambridge defensemen and were certain if passed the line. A referee’s meeting decided the puck had crossed the line and put Stratford up 4-3, a lead they’d hold till the final buzzer.
November 28 the Warriors hit the road again to play the Jr. Navy Vets in Woodstock. Kara was back in goal and turned away a quick start from the home team off the opening face off and Ryan Gansevles capitalized on a turnover to put Stratford up 1-0 early. The Vets kept fighting and tied the game 1-1 halfway through the frame. The Warriors found themselves on their heels in the second, the Woodstock attack pressing throughout and scoring one early to make it 2-1 Woodstock. Kara did his best and turned away shot after shot to keep it that way after 2 periods. The Vets came out firing again in the third, marking two quick goals to go up 4-1. An empty netter would put the game away late. Woodstock 5, Stratford 1.