PART 2 Pearson wants to finish Jr. career in Owen Sound
Date: May 15, 2020
By: Chris McLachlin, OHA Media
Photos: Spencer Smye Photography & Censational Photography
OHA SUTHERLAND CUP CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW: CALEDONIA VS LISTOWEL
Caledonia Pro-Fit Corvairs (45-4-0-1) vs Listowel Cyclones (43-5-0-2)
The 2018 GOJHL OHA Sutherland Cup Championship Series between the Caledonia Pro-Fit Corvairs and Listowel Cyclones features one team looking for their fourth Sutherland Cup in five years against a team making their first-ever appearance in the Championship.
The Corvairs are in familiar territory as they are playing in their fourth Sutherland Cup Championship Series in the past five years. Caledonia won the Sutherland Cup in 2014 in seven games against the St. Catharines Falcons. The following year, they bested the LaSalle Vipers in six games to win the 2015 Sutherland Cup. Again in 2016 it was the Corvairs hoisting the Cup as they swept the London Nationals in four games to claim their third straight title. Caledonia’s string of Championships was snapped last year when the Elmira Sugar Kings took them out in six games in the Sutherland Cup Semifinals. The Caledonia Pro-Fit Corvairs have been a perennial powerhouse in the GOJHL and are looking to return to the winner’s circle and hoist their fourth Sutherland Cup in the past five years.
For the Listowel Cyclones this is the first time their franchise has reached a Sutherland Cup Final since moving into the Junior B category from Junior C in 1979. Prior to last year’s Sutherland Cup Semifinals loss to the London Nationals, the only other time the Cyclones advanced to Sutherland Cup play was in 2004-05 when they won the Midwestern Junior B League Championship but finished third in the Sutherland Cup Round Robin and failed to advance to the Finals. This season the Cyclones broke their team’s single season record for wins with 40 and are looking to cap off their great season as Sutherland Cup Champions.
This series gets underway on Wednesday, April 25 at 7:30 PM in Caledonia at the Haldimand County Caledonia Centre.
Caledonia Pro-Fit Corvairs
The Caledonia Pro-Fit Corvairs finished on top of the GOJHL Golden Horseshoe Conference regular season standings for the fifth straight season, finishing with a record of 45-4-0-1. The Corvairs beat the Fort Erie Meteors, Niagara Falls Canucks and St. Catharines Falcons to win their fifth straight Golden Horseshoe Conference Championship, going 12-1 in the process. They followed with a 4-game sweep of the Elmira Sugar Kings in the Sutherland Cup Semifinals to avenge their loss to the Sugar Kings last season.
The Corvairs have a high-powered offensive attack, the best in the GOJHL in the regular season, as they averaged 6.18 goals per game, while allowing only 1.78 goals against per game, also the best mark in the GOJHL regular season. In the playoffs they have cranked up their offense even more, averaging 6.47 goals per game, while remaining strong defensively, allowing an average of 2.00 goals against per game in 17 playoff games. With this kind of offense and defense, it’s not surprising that they are 16-1 in the playoffs.
The Corvairs were led by Jesse Barwell in the regular season with 93 points (24G, 69A) in 50 games. Adam Craievich led the squad with 37 goals, but this Corvairs team is deep from top to bottom offensively, as 14 players scored double digits in goals. Two defencemen averaged more than a point per game from the blue line as Joshua DeFarias led the way with 63 points (14G, 49A) in 47 games and Andrew Burns had 50 points (15G, 35A) in 49 games. Through four rounds of playoffs Craievich leads the way with 32 points (10G, 22A) in 17 games.
Caledonia has depth up and down their lineup and goaltending is no exception as Brandon McCorriston and Pierce Charleson have both had outstanding seasons tending goal for the Corvairs. In 32 regular season games, McCorriston was 27-4-0 with 5 shutouts and a 1.84 GAA and .915 SV%. Not to be outdone, Charleson was 18-1-0 in 21 games with 4 shutouts and a 1.53 GAA and .921 SV%. The pair has continued to split games in the playoffs where Charleson is 9-0 with 2 shutouts, a 2.05 GAA and .923 SV%, and McCorriston is 7-1 with 1 shutout and a 1.76 GAA and .919 SV%.
In the regular season the Corvairs had the best power play in their Conference at 21.6%, which was 5th overall in the GOJHL and in 17 playoff games they have connected at an even higher rate of 25.8%, 5th overall. On the penalty kill, the Corvairs are just as strong, finishing the regular season at 88.1% which was 2nd overall behind only their Conference rivals from St. Catharines, and in the playoffs they have been killing penalties at a rate of 80.9%, 10th best in the GOJHL.
Listowel Cyclones
The Listowel Cyclones had a dominant regular season in the GOJHL Midwestern Conference, repeating as regular season champions with a record of 43-5-0-2. The Cyclones knocked off the Guelph Hurricanes, Waterloo Siskins and Elmira Sugar Kings to win their second straight Cherrey Cup as Midwestern Conference Champions, going 12-3 in the process. Last year the Cyclones lost to the London Nationals in the Sutherland Cup Semifinals and this year they were able to avenge that loss by beating the Nationals in six games to advance to their first-ever Sutherland Cup Finals.
In the regular season the Cycs were the second highest scoring team in their Conference behind Stratford (3rd overall), scoring an average of 4.64 goals per game. In the playoffs they are averaging 4.00 goals per game, which is the second most, behind only the Corvairs. The scoring punch is nice, but the Cyclones are known as a strong defensive team and they were the second best in the entire GOJHL in the regular season, allowing only 2.00 goals against per game, behind only the Caledonia Corvairs. In the playoffs, the Cyclones and Corvairs are tied at the top where the Cyclones have matched their regular season average of allowing 2.00 goals against per game. Listowel and Caledonia are #1 and #2 in both goals for and goals against in the playoffs; it’s only fitting to see the two teams matched up for the 2018 Sutherland Cup.
Up front the Cyclones’ offensive attack comes from veteran forwards Chayse Herrfort who had 70 points (29G, 41A) in 50 games, Holdyn Lansink with 67 points (29G, 38A) in 48 games, and Jakob Lee with 64 points (28G, 36A) in 46 games. Adding to their offense is Cullen Mercer who led the team with 30 goals and Mitch Deelstra who had 20 goals; as five players scored more than 20 goals in the regular season. Max Coyle provides offense from the back-end as the blueliner added 50 points (6G, 44A) in 49 games, leading the team in assists. In the playoffs it’s been Mercer and Herrfort leading the way with 27 points apiece, but team captain Caleb Warren has also stepped up with 21 points and all three players have 3 game winning goals in the playoffs for the Cyclones.
Max Wright provided the Cyclones with exceptional goaltending in the regular season, winning 27 games in 31 games, going 27-4-0 with 2 shutouts and a 2.11 GAA and .926 SV%. Wright’s backup Evan Reinhart was more than capable in his 11 games, going 9-1-0 with 2 shutouts and a 1.64 GAA and .938 SV%. The Cyclones have two solid options in goal and it’s been Wright carrying the load in the playoffs, playing in 20 of the 21 games and going 15-5 with 4 shutouts and a 1.82 GAA and sparkling .936 SV%.
On special teams, Listowel is strong and very balanced as they had the best powerplay in their Conference and 3rd best overall in the GOJHL at 24.2% in the regular season and they’ve improved to 26.4% in the playoffs which is 4th best overall. Likewise, their penalty killing was best in their Conference at 86.4% (4th overall) and in the playoffs they are killing penalties at a rate of 84.2% which is 7th best.
HOW THEY GOT HERE
Caledonia:
- beat the Fort Erie Meteors in 4 games in the Golden Horseshoe Conference Quarterfinals
- beat the Niagara Falls Canucks in 5 games in the Golden Horseshoe Conference Semifinals
- beat the St. Catharines Falcons in 4 games in the Golden Horseshoe Conference Championship
- beat the Elmira Sugar Kings in 4 games in the Sutherland Cup Semifinals
Listowel:
- beat the Guelph Hurricanes in 4 games in the Midwestern Conference Quarterfinals
- beat the Waterloo Siskins in 7 games in the Midwestern Conference Semifinals
- beat the Elmira Sugar Kings in 4 games in the Midwestern Conference Championship
- beat the London Nationals in 6 games in the Sutherland Cup Semifinals
LEADING PLAYOFF SCORERS
Caledonia:
1. Adam Craievich 32 PTS (10G, 22A)
2. Jesse Barwell 29 PTS (13G, 16A)
3. Owen Lane 27 PTS (14G, 13A)
Listowel:
1. Chayse Herrfort 27 PTS (13G, 14A)
2. Cullen Mercer 27 PTS (12G, 15A)
3. Caleb Warren 21 PTS (10G, 11A)
GOALTENDERS
Caledonia:
Pierce Charleson (9 GP, 9-0, 2 SO, 2.05 GAA, .923 SV%)
Brandon McCorriston (8 GP, 7-1, 1 SO, 1.76 GAA, .919 SV%)
Listowel:
Max Wright (20 GP, 15-5, 4 SO, 1.82 GAA, .936 SV%)
Evan Reinhart (1 GP, 1-0, 4.00 GAA, .857 SV%)
STATS
Caledonia: (Regular Season | Playoffs)
Listowel: (Regular Season | Playoffs)
Click here for the 2018 GOJHL Playoffs Brackets
2018 GOJHL OHA SUTHERLAND CUP CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE:
(CALEDONIA CORVAIRS vs LISTOWEL CYCLONES)
Game 1: Wed. Apr. 25 at 7:30 PM @ Caledonia
Game 2: Fri. Apr. 27 at 7:30 PM @ Listowel
Game 3: Sat. Apr. 28 at 7:30 PM @ Caledonia
Game 4: Tue. May 1 at 7:30 PM @ Listowel
*Game 5: Wed. May 2 at 7:30 PM @ Caledonia
*Game 6: Fri. May 4 at 7:30 PM @ Listowel
*Game 7: Sat. May 5 at 7:30 PM @ Caledonia
(* if necessary)
Note: Caledonia’s home games are played at the Haldimand County Caledonia Centre, and Listowel’s home games are played at the Steve Kerr Memorial Complex.