Season opener features strength of Guelph Junior B club
The Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League (GOJHL) Guelph Hurricanes showed off their flare for finding the back of the net during the first game of the season, a 9-2 victory over the visiting Cambridge Winter Hawks. It was the first time the Hurricanes had defeated the Hawks at home in three years – a sign for a potential changing of the tide for the Hurricanes this season.
Just 1:09 into the game, newly recruited Hurricane Peyton Backus put one past diving Hawks goaltender Lucas Machalski, giving the home team a 1-0 lead on the powerplay. Backus would become one of two Hurricanes to net hatricks in the win. (Story continues after slideshow. Photos by Matthew Azevedo)
The Hawks would tie it up just over four minutes later with a goal from Emmerson Small in the slot, capitalizing on one of their few chances in the period.
Craig Martini would put the Hurricanes up for good at 15:22 of the first, scoring the first of seven consecutive goals after a strong Hurricanes penalty kill to begin the pull away for the home squad. Picking the puck up off the boards, the Guelph native walked around the Hawks defenseman and lifted it by Machalski for a 2-1 lead. Martini would tally a five-point showing on the night, including a hatrick.
Despite a few spurts of fight back from the Hawks, the second period continued to favour the Hurricanes with goals from Backus, Giordano Finoro, and Martini again.
The third period would feature four more goals for the home team credited to Jordan Hatzinger, Backus, Ryan Migliaccio, and Martini.
Cambridge’s Quinn Diamond would score their second goal of the game on the powerplay with 3:12 left in the already out of reach game.
In addition to the five goals scored, the final period saw the visiting team’s frustration on display as a total of 39 penalty minutes were handed out.
Hawks goaltender Machalski was relieved with 15:39 left in the game by Owen Savory. The duo faced a total of 46 shots from the Hurricanes.
Hurricanes Jeremie Lintner, the other goaltender in the game, stopped 29 shots in the victory, making key saves early in the first to allow the home team to settle in before shooting ahead for good.
Another subtle star in the strong 9-2 win proved to be Hurricanes defenceman Sheehan Kirkwood, who found the score sheet five times for five assists on the night.
The Hurricanes duplicated the season opening effort at home against Brampton on Sept. 13. Guelph improved to 2-0-0 on the season with a 4-3 win. Brooker Muir and Chad Herron would each score their first of the season, while Backus and Finoro added one each.
Finoro scored the lone goal of the third period at 6:46 to secure the lead and the Hurricanes second win of the season. Matt Nightingale and Cameron Stokes were credited with the assists.
Jeremie Lintner put together another strong showing, making 25 saves off 28 shots.
The Hurricanes look to improve to 3-0-0 when they hit the road for the first time this season on Sept. 19. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 against Stratford.
The following night, on Sept. 20, the Hurricanes return home to face-off against Brantford at the Sleeman Centre. The game is set to start at 7:30.