With the semi finals ready to go in the Pollock Division, we will now get to see the defending champs get into the mix after serving their bye.
The Patriots are loaded with championship experience, and managed to squeeze into first place overall on the final night of the regular season against Wingham. They also made a significant re-addition in the form of Riley Cribbin before the deadline, and have their sights set on an unprecedented third straight title. To get there, they first have to go through the team they beat in both those first two finals in Walkerton. The Hawks managed to finally swat away the pesky Hanover Barons, who came back from being 3-0 down to force a game 6 which eventually went the Hawks way. The last two years it wasn't a question that Walkerton was just as good and deep as the Pats. Now that is the most pressing question going into this series.
Up front, the Patriots are loaded with talent, and that was exacerbated when they reacquired puck wizard Riley Cribbin before the deadline. He was a key factor in the last two championships, and will surely play another big role in any hope of a three-peat. In just 11 games this year Cribbin had 19 points. He's scary with the puck. Klayton Hoelscher had another sparkling season as the Patriots' captain led the team with 56 points. However, he didn't lead in goal scoring, as Michael Stefanelli and Jack Birkett tied for the team lead at 24. Stefanelli (52 points) and Birkett (43) are key parts of an offensive team that can overpower any opposition if they're allowed to run wild along the boards and develop a cycle. No one grinds quite like the Pats do, and as skilled as they are, they can get down and dirty and score the greasy goals better than almost anyone. Troy Weber was the 4th forward with 30-plus points at 36, and Jack Francis, Parker Miller and Dawson Bolger all had 20 or more. This team is as deep as ever up front.
The Hawks, having already played a series, will have to contend with a rested team and a real rival in the Pats, as these two teams have developed a real dislike over the last two Pollock Division Finals, both losses for Walkerton. This group, led by Spencer Elder, will want to exact revenge. In the first round against Hanover, Elder was very good with 7 points, but it was captain Justin Donnelly leading the way offensively with 10 points in 6 games. Those two lead a forward core that loves being physical and irritating opponents, something that showed the last two times these teams met in a series. Walkerton will have to be careful of toeing the line though. Brady Stewart posted 6 points, and Adel Zivojevic, who missed the regular season with school and work commitments, rejoined the team to pot 3 points in the Hanover series. Zivojevic was at times the Hawks best player in last year's final, and his addition to the lineup will add some much needed spark and physical bite which will be greatly appreciated against the Pats. Walkerton still possess the ability to pour the goals in, but they'll need even more from their top guns to keep pace with Mount Forest.
On the back end, Mount Forest again got a great season out of diminutive Thomas Haffner. Haffner finished 4th in team scoring with 39 points, and 16 of those came on the power play. Next to Carter Collinson, Haffner is the best offensive defenseman in the division, equally adept at distributing and rushing the puck. He also has a shot that's not to be sneezed at, as he can rifle pucks top corner through traffic, something we all saw in last year's final. Dylan Brown, who played some centre this year before Cribbin returned, had a really solid year, posting 18 points and playing a physical style while only amassing 16 penalty minutes, Chet Phillips took another step forward, nabbing 17 points. Thomas Coulter and Derek Williams each had 11 and Nate Bolger had 10, rounding out a top 6 D-core that all had double digit point totals. Walkerton only had two. It's clear the advantage on the back end lies with the defending champs.
That all being said, Walkerton still has plenty of grit and offensive potential on the back end. Brendan Welsh only played 3 of the 6 games against the Barons in the first round yet still managed 5 points. Colin Brady had 3 in a full series, and played well in increased minutes without Welsh. Austin Brown and Connor Prins each had 2 points and played well against the Barons best players and did great work on the penalty kill, something that must continue, if not improve, against Mount Forest. Austin VanWyck and Cole Walker didn't register any points but played well and only took 4 penalty minutes between them, all going to Walker. If this group can be imposing on the Mount Forest forwards and quickly snuff out the cycle attempts and get pucks quickly out to neutral ice for the more skilled forward group to chase down, Walkerton will be alright and may push this to 6 or 7. If the defense is caught puck watching or can't lock down the heavy Pats forecheck, this could be over sooner.
In goal, the Patriots will continue to lean on David Lobsinger, who has been sensational in his Pats career. Lobsinger turned in another stellar season, going 18-8-1 with 3 shutouts, a 2.58 GAA and a stout .917 save percentage. Despite his smaller frame, Lobsinger is one of the best netminders in the Jr. C level, consistently challenging shooters and using great reflexes and quick legs to steer away scoring chances. Aidan Quish, the younger backup, had a solid year as well, going 14-1-0 with a 3.13 GAA and a .900 save percentage. This group knows no matter what, they have a solid option in net, with Lobsinger being an elite starter who knows exactly how to win.
The Hawks will have no qualms about rolling Matt Donnelly, as he turned in an absolutely excellent performance in 6 games against Hanover. After a regular season that left some wondering whether the youngster lost some of his magic touch from his rookie year, Donnelly silenced the doubters, starting all 6 games going 4-2 with a 2.12 GAA and an airtight .933 save percentage. Tyler Jackman will likely remain as the backup, but barring a catastrophic injury to Donnelly, Jackman will not see any action, at least not as a starter. In terms of goalie quality between these two teams, it's a straight up coin flip.
On special teams, the Hawks had a pretty okay first round showing against Hanover, but their numbers, particularly on the penalty kill, will need to ramp up to beat Mount Forest. After one round, the Hawks have the 8th best power play in the Northern Conference at 16 percent, and their penalty kill only ranks 10th at 80 percent. That won't do against the Pats power play, who ended the regular season at just 16 percent, third in the Pollock, but after Cribbin rejoined the fold the numbers jumped and the power play was better than 22 percent with Cribbin. The Pats finished the regular season in third on the PK as well, at just 81 percent, so they need to be wary of too many trips to the box as well.
This series will likely be the roughest we see. Walkerton, though not the juggernaut of old, will want to exact some revenge on the Patriots who took two titles out of their hands the last two seasons running, first in 7 games and last year in 6. Both were won on Walkerton ice. Mount Forest want the three-peat, and ousting their rivals to get back to the final would make it all the sweeter. Should be an excellent series, and it all starts Tuesday, February 20th at 8:30 in Mount Forest. Enjoy!
Schedule as of Monday, February 19th:
February 20th in Mount Forest, 8:30 p.m.
February 22nd in Walkerton, 8:20 p.m.
February 23rd in Mount Forest, 8 p.m.
Rest of the series to be determined
