Three close games, but Cougars still can't notch a win
By Bill Rea
The slump continues for the Schomberg Cougars, as they were handed three more defeats last week.

Enrico Ferri had been knocked to one knee by a Fergus defender Thursday night, but not before he got his shot by goalie Gary Walser for the Cougars' first goal of the evening.

They turned in a very credible effort Thursday, hosting the Fergus Devils, but an ineffective power play and some questionable calls by the officials left them feeling more frustration, as they were edged 4-3.

Enrico Ferri, Jeff Mulvihill and Eddie Wiederer notched the goals for the home side, while Ryan Christadler, Dan Naccarrato, Shane Jones and Chris Gard provided the assists.

Things were pretty even between the two teams in the first period, but the Cougars ran into trouble in the second. That included giving up a short-handed goal late in the frame.

Despite the losses, there is still the clear feeling the team is headed in the right direction.

"We've been really practicing hard on getting in front of the net and trying to stir up traffic," Mulvihill commented after the match.

The 18-year-old Pottageville resident also agreed they got caught at a disadvantage in their own zone a couple of times, adding that "penalties definitely hurt us."

In spite of that, there's still a lot of enthusiasm in the ranks.

Head Coach Gary Waldrum agreed the power play wasn't firing. "You can't have a power play if you can't get out of your own end," he observed.

He also said his men made "a few too many mental errors," adding that's what they have to work on correcting.

The team was in Alliston Friday night, and it wasn't a very pleasant evening, as the Hornets topped them 5-2.

Ferri and Mike Volpe provided the scoring punch in this outing, with Wiederer collecting two assists while Naccarrato, Wiederer and Gard got one apiece.

Saturday night saw the Cougars travel north to Midland for a match with the Flyers, and they were edged 3-2.

Things were looking up a little, as they were able to connect on the power play, courtesy of a marker from Justin Brooks. Naccarrato connected for the other goal, while Wiederer, Jones, Ferri and Brandon Binns earned assists.

"We competed better with Alliston than we had to this point," Waldrum later commented.

He also observed his men had a strong outing in Midland, but they just couldn't translate it into goals.

The Cougars return to action tomorrow (Thursday) night when they host the Flyers. The match will start at 8:15 p.m.

Saturday will see them heading north to Stayner for their first regular-season encounter with the Siskins. That game will start at 8:30 p.m.

They will be in Penetang Sunday to face the Kings, starting at 8 p.m.