The Listowel Cyclones have 1st overall in the Midwest in their sights after a big home ice win last night.
Another edition of the "Battle of 86" became just that, a battle, as the Elmira Sugar Kings came to town and the two teams traded blows in a rough and tumble game that had all the feelings of a playoff game. The Sugar Kings would draw first blood on the scoreboard as Brody Waters slid one through Cyclones goalie Evan Morrison, and a short time later a hard shot that rang both posts appeared like it may have crossed the line, but the ensuing scramble caused the refs to lose clear sight of the puck and no one could definitively determine it was in, and Elmira were irate feeling they were robbed a goal at the end of one.
Listowel came out firing in the second as leading scorer Holdyn Lansink scored 21 seconds into the frame to tie it. The back and forth see-saw continued with both teams laying punishing hits all over the ice. It looked as though the game would be tied heading to the third, but late in the period rookie Brayden Krieger scored what would end up being the game winner with just 19 seconds on the clock off a beautiful play from Chayse Herrfort. Lansink picked up an assist as well.
Near the midway point of the third, Elmira began to lose the plot, taking two undisciplined penalties setting up a 5 on 3 for the Cyclones, and Holdyn Lansink made them pay with his 45th goal of the year, and 107th point, to put the Cyclones 3-1 clear. Steven Grant would add one more just minutes later to seal the deal. Since the Stratford Warriors lost to Kitchener 3-0, Listowel and Stratford sit even at 68 points with one game left each. If Listowel win Sunday at home against Brantford in any fashion, they will clinch first, as they have the tie breaker with Stratford on head-to-head record. It should be a thrilling end to a great regular season race with playoffs right around the corner.
