Golden Hawks come back for first round series win

February 27, 2018 · 0 Comments

By Jake Courtepatte
Chalk up another come-from-behind win for the Caledon Golden Hawks.
Just days after an overtime goal kept their season alive in the fifth game of their best-of-seven series with the Huntsville Otters, the junior C club once again got it done in extra time in the sixth outing, before winning in regulation in the do-or-die seventh game.
Returning to Huntsville in another battle for their season Friday for the sixth game, Chase Krompocker was solid in the crease for the Hawks before a shorthanded opportunity caught him off guard with just seven seconds left in the first period.
The 1-0 score held until late in the third period, when with Caledon pressuring, game five hero Marc Simonetta scored the tying goal to send it to an extra frame.
That pressure continued into the overtime period, when Christian Hauck scored on the very first shot of the period to give Caledon the win and send it to a seventh and deciding game.
Back at Caledon East Sunday, close to 300 fans packed the house to watch a Hawks’ offensive clinic, throwing 64 shots on the Huntsville net in an eventual 6-4 win.
Down 2-0 after the first period of play, Jeffrey Ohashi and Simonetta each found twine to tie it late in the second, though a Huntsville goal in the final minute put Caledon down 3-2 heading into the intermission.
Caledon exploded in offence in the third, scoring four times on 24 shots in the period, to put Huntsville away for good.
Landis Antonic scored twice in the third, while Michael Andrews and Hauck each added singles.
And just like that, after facing elimination three games ago, the Hawks punched their ticket to the second round for just the second time in its eight-year history, drawing the Alliston Hornets as their round two opponent.
Having not met in the postseason since the 2011-12 campaign, the playoff animosity between Caledon and Alliston will begin anew this year, though the rivalry runs deep. The Hawks were one of just two teams to beat the Hornets on multiple occasions this season, besting them twice in the new year after three losses to open the season series.
Alliston’s regular season record of 31-10-0-1 was good for second overall in the eight-team Carruthers division.
The playoff series opens Friday in Alliston at the always rowdy New Tecumseh Rec Complex, before moving to Caledon East for both game two and game three.
Game two will go Saturday with a puck drop time of 6:30 p.m., while game three will go Sunday at 7 p.m.
Competing on the other side of the semifinals are the Stayner Siskins and Penetang Kings, marking the second season in a row that the top four teams remained after round one. The top-seeded Siskins had a long wait to determine their opponent after sweeping the Orillia Terriers in four games, while the Kings bested the Midland Flyers in six.
For stats, schedules and more information, visit www.jrcgoldenhawks.pointstreaksites.com

Caledon’s Mathiau Young carries the puck into the Huntsville zone in game seven of the Golden Hawks’ first round series with the Otters. The local heroes punched their ticket to the next round in that game.
Photo by Jake Courtepatte