The losing streak is broken for the Cougars
First win of the season
By Bill Rea

Matt Steenhoek marked his return to the Cougars' line up Thursday by getting this key goal midway through the second period against Midland. It was the first of two, as he also notched the winner after 2:37 of overtime.

The proverbial monkey is off the backs of the Schomberg Cougars.

The local junior C hockey heroes posted a well-earned 5-4 win Thursday night in overtime against the Midland Flyers, their first of the season.

The weekend featured two attempts to notch their second win, both of which ended in frustration. They were edged Saturday in Stayner 5-4 by the Siskins, then dropped a 5-1 verdict in Fergus Sunday night against the Devils.

Thursday's was a game in which the Cougars took command in the first two periods, then they almost let it slip away. They were ahead 4-2 going into the third frame, and the Flyers notched two markers to even things up. The home side left loose pucks in front of their own net twice during the same power play, and there was only a finite amount of slack fate was prepared to cut them for that. It resulted in a shorthanded goal for Midland, then they popped in a power-play marker in the last couple of minutes of regulation time.

Goalie Aaron Green said all the pressure was on Midland's Jesse Taylor, making it easier for him to stop this penalty shot attempt, the first of two he foiled Thursday.

The Cougars regrouped and all but owned the extra period, or at least the two minutes and 30 seconds that it lasted. Matt Steenhoek, who had returned for his first game with the club after playing last year, beat the Midland goalie by lobbing a long shot that went in the far corner.

"I thought it went wide because the goalie didn't move," he commented later. It took a couple of seconds for him to hesitantly raise his stick in celebration before being mobbed by his mates.

The was his second goal of the evening. Newcomer Colin Murray collected two power-play goals in the first period and Curtis Gasko notched a power-play marker of his own in the second.

Eddie Wiederer and Shane Jones each posted a pair of assists, while Justin Brooks Todd Cantelon and Steenhoek got one apiece.

Goalie Aaron Green did his bit for the cause, including stopping two penalty shots.

He later said that's not as big a chore as it might sound, adding the trick is to let the shooter make the first move.

"All the pressure's on the shooter, not me," he added.

The effort was part of Green's first victory in the junior C ranks.

"I think this is going to be the turning point," he remarked. "It was just a matter of time."

Head Coach Gary Waldrum was understandably pleased with the way the evening went, as were his players.

"They're happy," he remarked after the game, stressing the team had worked hard in anticipation of the first win. "They stayed pretty poised during the losing streak."

He also observed the team did a good job of staying out of the penalty box, pointing out they resisted the urge to retaliate. "We didn't respond the way they (Midland) wanted, which is a step in the right direction, and a little bit of maturity too," he observed.

Saturday's game was a close one too, with the Cougars and Siskins entering the third period tied 4-4. But there was only one marker notched in the frame, and the hosts got it.

The shots-on-goal figures couldn't have been much closer, with Stayner having a 42-41 edge.

Brandon Binns, Jones, Steenhoek and Brandon Lisi collected the goals for the side, while Chris Case and Enrico Ferri earned two assists each. Murray, Brooks, Binns and Mike Volpe gained singles.

Although the team's been doing well lately on the power play, that wasn't the case in Stayner. Waldrum said they had about a dozen chances, and came up empty. A bit more success in that department could have amounted to a win, he lamented.

They were also short a couple of players, and those in the line up had to face a hot goalie too.

He added he was pleased with Sunday's effort in Fergus, adding his men fell victim to some mental errors again.

"You don't have to make many mistakes to get the puck in your own net," he observed.

Mark O'Blenis handled the scoring chores for the team on a penalty shot.

The sudden harvest of penalty shots was a little puzzling for the coach.

"I don't think I've seen three penalty shots in the last six years," he remarked. "This was actually a deserved penalty shot."

Waldrum also observed his men are heading into a tough week of action, as they are scheduled to face the top two teams in the Georgian Mid-Ontario standings.

They will be hosting the Penetang Kings tomorrow (Thursday) night, starting at 8:15 p.m. Friday will see them on the road to Alliston for a 7:30 p.m. match against the Hornets.