Three Orillia minor hockey teams begin their quest for provincial titles this weekend as the Ontario Minor Hockey Association (OMHA) championship round begins.
The Moonstone Mechanical novices have had an almost perfect season. The Terriers skated to an impressive 24-1-3 regular-season record and finished in first place in their age group in the league.
Through three playoff rounds, the Terriers have continued their red-hot play; they have not lost a single game.
In the first round, Orillia swept the Newmarket Redman in three straight games and then beat rival Barrie in the second round with three wins and a tie in the four-game set.
Orillia then clashed with a strong Innisfil Winterhawks squad in the semis. After a scoreless first game, the Terriers came out strong in Game 2, winning 5-2, then won 4-1 and 5-3 to clinch the series and punch their ticket to the championship against Woolwich.
The Terriers open their quest for an OMHA crown on home ice. On Saturday, Orillia will host the Woolwich Wildcats in a 3:50 p.m. contest at Rotary Place and Sunday, they will be back at Rotary Place for a 2:40 p.m. game. The series shifts to the Dan Snyder Memorial Arena in Elmira for the next three games: March 23, 24 and 25. If a sixth game is necessary, it will be back in Orillia March 31 at 4:40 p.m.
The Kelsey’s major midgets will also clash with Woolwich in the provincial championship.
After compiling a stellar 28-11-2 regular-season record, the local squad beat Whitchurch-Stouffville in two straight games and then played Ajax in a very tight series. Orillia skated to a narrow 4-3 win in the deciding game to clinch the series, 3-2.
Orillia then met the TNT Tornadoes and after each team won a pair, Orillia won the decisive fifth game 4-2 in New Tecumseth to keep their playoff season alive. The third round was also a nail-biter and also came down to the final game. This time against Bradford, Orillia eked out a 4-3 decision on home ice to win another hard-fought series, 3-2.
Now, the Cardiac Kids will test their mettle against Woolwich. The first two games of the series will be at Rotary Place – at 5:30 p.m. Saturday and 5:20 p.m. Sunday. Woolwich will host the next two games, March 24 and 25. Game 5 is slated for March 29 at 6:30 p.m. at Rotary Place. A sixth game, if needed, would be played March 31 in Elmira.
The city’s other midget squad, the Scotiabank minor midgets, have also qualified for the OMHA championship.
The minor midgets started their playoff run with a 4-2 loss on home ice to Barrie, but them stormed back to win three straight to eliminate the Colts.
In round 2, the Terriers defeated Aurora 3-1 to advance to the semi-finals against Ajax. After outscoring Ajax 10-4 in the opening two games, Ajax contended they could not make it to Orillia for Game 3 due to a stormy weather forecast, but the OMHA declared the game a forfeit, giving Orillia their ticket to the championship.
The Terriers will play the Erie North Shore Storm in the championship round. Orillia will start their quest on the road, with a game in Harrow Saturday and a game in Kingsville Sunday. The Terriers will then host the next two games in the series the following weekend at Rotary Place: Saturday at 5:30 p.m. and Sunday at 1:30 p.m. Orillia will then hit the road for the final two games of the series, slated for March 30 and April 2.
