CALEDONIA—The pressure was on the Caledonia Corvairs last week as the team hosted the GOJHL Showcase for the first time ever, with scouts in the stands.
The Corvairs faced the Listowel Cyclones on Friday, December 6 and the Strathroy Rockets on Saturday, December 7. Both games featured intense moments, individual brilliance, and a lot of drama as the Corvairs fought hard to make an impact in front of a passionate home crowd
Friday’s game was a high-energy affair that saw the Corvairs struggle to find their rhythm early on. The Cyclones opened the scoring within minutes to set the tone for the first period, which remained scoreless after that.
The Corvairs came out strong in the middle frame, and at 7:25 Ethan Osborne tied the game with a power-play goal. Osborne has been a strong player all season, burying his seventh of the year with assists from Zachary Naherne and Ryan McGuire. Unfortunately, the Cyclones were quick to respond, potting a pair to retake the lead heading into the third.
The final period saw more frustration for the Corvairs, as they couldn’t break through against Listowel’s solid defense. Keegan Jackson was solid in net for the Corvairs, stopping 34 shots, but the overwhelming pressure from Listowel proved too much. The Cyclones sealed the game with a fourth goal late in the frame, taking the win 4-1.
Saturday’s game provided a much-needed bounce-back opportunity for the Corvairs.
From the very beginning, the team was playing hard. Just 4:47 into the first, Matthew O’Sullivan put Caledonia on the board with his eighth goal of the season with assists from Evan Bradacs and Travis Houle. Once again, the remainder of the first was quiet with no further goals.
Then as the second period began, the Corvairs once again asserted their dominance. Ryan McGuire doubled the lead at 2:33 with a goal off a feed from Osborne.
With the Corvairs up 2-0, it seemed like they were on their way to a comfortable victory. However, Strathroy had other plans.
Just 22 seconds after McGuire’s goal, the Rockets struck back, cutting the lead in half. From there, Strathroy gained momentum and rattled off three more goals before the period was over for a 4-2 lead midway through the middle frame. Despite the setback, the Corvairs didn’t back down. At 12:25, Tyler Clark brought the Corvairs within one with an assist from Gavin McAfee-Rankine.
The goal sparked hope in the Caledonia crowd, and the team appeared rejuvenated.
The Corvairs turned up the pressure in the third period and at 16:11, Ethan Quick, known for his offensive instincts, scored a short-handed goal to tie the game. McGuire picked up his second assist of the game, helping to set up Quick’s 16th goal of the season.
Strathroy responded with a late goal at 18:48 to retake the lead. Caledonia fought valiantly to the end, but left the ice with a 5-4 loss to Strathroy.
Caledonia’s goaltender this match, Cal Gardner, had a tough outing but stopped 29 shots despite some defensive lapses and the Rockets’ quick offensive attacks.
The Corvairs will travel to Port Colborne on Friday, December 13 to face the Sailors. On Saturday, December 14, the Corvairs will host the Welland Jr. Canadians.
