With playoffs looming around the corner, the Listowel Cyclones welcomed the Waterloo Siskins for a GOJHL Midwest tilt Friday night.
Listowel was controlling the pace of play from puck drop, opening up a wide lead in shots. Waterloo began pushing back late in the period, and Listowel missed a golden chance when Rylan Bowers set up Carter McIlwain with a wide open net that McIlwain missed, and Bowers failed to put it in a wide open cage off the bounce back from the end wall. The Siskins dodged a bullet, and overall Tanner Wickware was rock solid in goal, as was his counter part Dixon Grimes for the Cycs. The period ended scoreless, with the shots favouring Listowel slightly 9-7.
Listowel opened up the second flying, generating a near scoring chance early before Jonah White tapped in a gorgeous feed from Stevie Grant along the goal line past a helpless Wickware just before the 4 minute mark to make it 1-0 Cycs. Both teams were playing wide open with tons of pace, and that finally drew the first penalty as Listowel took a slashing call just before the 12 minute mark, sending Waterloo to the power play. Listowel buckled down on a great PK effort and didn’t allow a single shot. Then, with just under 5 minutes left, Waterloo got tagged for a checking to the head call and 10 minute misconduct, giving Listowel their first go at a man advantage. Listowel couldn’t dent the twine, and with just under a minute left Waterloo tied it with a low shot along the ice from Brock Krulicki that beat Grimes clean. Waterloo finished with a late offensive flurry but would do no more damage. 1-1 after two, shots 16-14 Siskins.
As the third got underway, Listowel tried to get a fore check going, but couldn’t get much early zone time. They’d get a chance to after Waterloo took an interference penalty just after the 2 minute mark. The Cycs had a couple rebound chances but couldn’t convert yet again. The teams would trade chances up and down the ice, and then at the halfway mark of the period, Listowel got called for a hook in the neutral zone. Waterloo wouldn’t generate much either, though, and the score remained 1-1 late into regulation. Listowel poured on the pressure with a minute left and had a number of quality chances but just couldn’t find the twine. Off to OT tied at 1, shots 26-22 Cycs.
Listowel had a yawning cage on an early rebound but Wickware laid out for a fantastic save to absolutely rob Listowel. The Cycs had the better chances, but took an ill advised boarding call with 22 seconds left in the 4-on-4 OT. The first OT would end with the Siskins carrying a healthy 1:38 into the 3-on-3 contest. Listowel miraculously survived the kill, then drew an interference penalty to put themselves on the man advantage. Waterloo survived that, too, and the teams once again traded brilliant chances to no avail. A mad scramble with ten seconds left saw Wickware swimming around desperate to keep the puck out, and he did, as the game ended deservedly in a tie. Wickware stopped 37 of the 38 shots he faced, Grimes turned away 25 of 26 for Listowel.