50 regular season games.
22 playoff games.
104 practices.
1 Cherrey Cup.
When you add those numbers together, it equals a GOJHL Sutherland Cup Championship for the Listowel Cyclones.
For the second time in the team’s history, the Cyclones lifted the Sutherland Cup on home ice after beating the St. Marys Lincolns 4-3 in overtime to clinch the best of seven series in five games.
Their first championship was in 2018.
It was not easy. The Lincolns kept it close through the final showdown. Four out of the five games were determined by just one goal. And two of the games, including last night’s clinching one, went into overtime.
But in the end, it was Listowel’s depth that gave them an edge.
Through the playoffs, 10 Cyclones had 11 points or more. And the team’s ‘fourth’ line of captain Carter Coombs, Tate Brenner and Chet Hudson combined for 11 goals.
The defense was stingy, the goaltending superb.
Dixon Grimes carried a .940 save percentage in his 19 playoff appearances. He allowed just 32 goals and recorded four shutouts. And in the early part of the run, Riley Arts had two shutouts in his three playoff appearances. He also had the win in the clinching game against Ayr in the Cherrey Cup semi-finals on March 28.
Through it all, the team had highs and lows and were tested. But Coombs says through it all, they had a common goal.
“They’re so resilient this team, nothing phases them. Toughest group of guys I’ve played with in my life,” said Coombs after Sunday night’s win.
The game started out well for Listowel, scoring two in the first period off the sticks of forward Wylie Birkett and Wyatt Kerr. Birkett was back in the line up after serving a two game suspension. And Kerr was inserted into the game plan after defenceman Teegan Middleton was suspended after Game 4 Friday.
But St. Marys wouldn’t fold. They used three power play opportunities and earned a lead. Chase MacQueen-Spence and Josh Cornfield scored in the second. And Maddox Callens scored at 8:53 in the third to give the Lincolns a one goal lead.
Birkett would score his second on the power play just under two minutes later to tie it.
The game would go into overtime. Then, with just over five minutes to play in the first OT, Ben MacRobbie received a Danny Scott pass, drove down the right wing into the offensive zone, went around the net and tried to stuff it in. The puck deflected off the goaltender’s pad and Jack O’Donnell punched it into the open side of the net for the winner.
It was his 10th goal of the playoffs, and his biggest.
St. Marys goaltender Brandon Abbott made 41 saves Sunday night. He faced more shots than any goaltender in the GOJHL playoffs, 749 shots in his 24 games played. He finished with a 2.51 GAA and .919 save percentage.
After the goal celebration and handshakes at centre ice, the presentations were made.
Mount Forest native Luke Eurig, who came back to the area after playing in the BCHL last season, was named playoff MVP with 31 points. And he played most of the season on a line with his younger brother Mason, which made the win even sweeter.
“It’s been so much fun and I’m so grateful for it,” said Eurig.
Eurig played his last Junior B game last night. As did Mitchell’s Tanner Dietz, Gowanstown’s Jordan Alexander, Harriston’s Ben MacRobbie, Listowel’s Chet Hudson and Guelph’s Dixon Grimes.
But for now, they will reflect, along with all of their teammates, on Sunday’s night Sutherland Cup win, and remember the community that surrounded them during this run, and the chants of ‘Go Cycs Go.’
The 2023-24 Listowel Cyclones:
1 Riley Arts
2 Carter Coombs
3 Keaton Middleton
4 Wyatt Kerr
6 Aidan Renaud
7 Benson Moore
9 Teague Vader
11 Tate Brenner
12 Jordan Alexander
14 Chet Hudson
15 Tanner Dietz
16 Brady Smith
17 Wylie Birkett
18 Harrison Meulensteen
19 Danny Scott
20 Mason Eurig
22 Ben MacRobbie
23 Jack O’Donnell
24 Cam McNevan
25 Dylan Szymanowski
27 Luke Eurig
33 Dixon Grimes