With the Cherrey Cup Final tied at 1, the Listowel Cyclones entertained the Waterloo Siskins in a thrilling game 3 tilt that ended 2-1 for Waterloo in an extra frame.
The first period was extremely close, with both teams generating chances on long cycles with a few opportunities on the power play each way. Listowel got the first man advantage but it was cut short by a too many men call, and Waterloo couldn’t score with an abbreviated PP. The Cyclones would get another man advantage later in the first, but could not find a goal, even though Darcy Winkler had a yawning cage on a back door pass late in the PP that evaded his stick. Waterloo would get an opportunity on a screen play that caused a bouncing puck through traffic, but Evan Morrison got a toe on it for Listowel. He stopped all 10 Waterloo shots, while Matt Onuska stopped the 7 that Listowel threw his way in a scoreless first.
Rolling into the second, the Siskins came out flying, and after extended pressure down low, Joseph Serpa banged in a rebound that went off the end wall as he whacked the puck off the back of Morrison’s skate into the net for a 1-0 lead. Not long after, Waterloo would earn their second man advantage, but they failed to score. Listowel would then earn a PP after Siskins’ captain Alex Cimino got tossed for a checking from behind misconduct, but the Cyclones would fail to beat Onuska. With just over 2 minutes left, Waterloo lost another player to a checking from behind call, as Owen Lane was shown the showers for a dangerous hit on David Mabey, and this time Listowel made no mistake as Brenden Krieger tapped in a back door play from Holdyn Lansinkl to tie the score at 1. Listowel would then take a cross checking call with just under a minute to play in the frame, and they’d carry over time into the third. Shots after two periods were 22 for Waterloo, 14 for Listowel.
To start the third, Listowel killed off the remainder of the Waterloo PP, then began to lean on the Siskins as they really missed Cimino. Waterloo nearly took the lead though with just over 8 minutes left off a funny deflection that Morrison kicked away just in time, and then Onuska robbed Lansink on a 3 on 1. The teams traded tons of back on forth chances on the rush, but both goalies stood tall, sending the contest to the series’ first overtime. Shots after three were Waterloo 31, Listowel 26.
In OT, Waterloo had the better pressure, and they’d make good on it just shy of 7 minutes in, as Brett Schaefer buried a cross crease 2-on-1 feed from Alex Lycett to end the game, and give Waterloo a 2-1 series lead. Final shots on goal; Waterloo 34, Listowel 28. Game 4 Thursday night in Waterloo at 7:30, which will be live on CKNX.
