Photo: Tanya Taylor, Censational Photography

William Proulx, OHA communications manager

The Waterloo Siskins capped off a fantastic playoff run with a Game 7 overtime win that earned the franchise its 12th OHA Sutherland Cup in franchise history.

The London Nationals put up a good fight in the final series and forced the series to seven games despite being down 2-0 in the early going of the series. Waterloo had led the series 2-0 and picked up wins in Games 1 (9-4) and Game 2 (5-4). The Nationals, on the other hand, won Game 3 (6-2), Game 4 (3-1) and Game 6 (5-1).

The 2019 victory was Waterloo’s first Sutherland Cup win since the 1994 postseason. Waterloo’s other championships came in 1991, 1988, 1985, 1984, 1964, 1962, 1960, 1956, 1954 and in 1940.

In Game 7 of the Sutherland Cup finals, Nationals forward Cal Davis opened the scoring in the second period. The Siskins responded with just six seconds left in the middle frame as Curtis Rawn netted his eighth of the postseason.

Davis added his second of the game for London just 10 seconds into the third period to give the Nationals the 2-1. The Nationals held the one-goal lead until the 15:52 mark of the third period. Waterloo’s Sam Spaedt converted for his 10th of the 2019 playoffs to tie the game at 2-2.

Game 7 headed to overtime at a deadlock 2-2 tie. Both teams traded chances and the shots were 8-7 in favour of the Siskins. Just past the 15:00 mark of the overtime period, Siskins defenceman Alec Tiley lofted a point shot toward the London goal. The puck had eyes and it found the top corner of the Nationals’ net. The goal was Tiley’s seventh of the postseason and the biggest goal of the Siskins season. Waterloo players spilled over the boards to celebrate the team’s 12th OHA Sutherland Cup Championship.

Waterloo finished the regular season in third place in the GOJHL’s Midwestern Conference with a record of 32-13-0-2 and 67 points. The team’s playoff run saw them defeat the Cambridge Redhawks (4-1), Stratford Warriors (4-2), Listowel Cyclones (4-2), Niagara Falls Canucks (4-2) and the Nationals (4-3) en route to a league championship.

Games in the 2019 OHA Sutherland Cup finals series were as follows:

Game 1: April 25 - London Nationals 4, Waterloo Siskins 9 (Waterloo leads series 1-0)

Game 2: April 28 – Waterloo Siskins 5, London Nationals 4 (Waterloo leads series 2-0)

Game 3: May 1 – London Nationals 6, Waterloo Siskins 2 (Waterloo leads series 2-1)

Game 4: May 2  – Waterloo Siskins 1, London Nationals 3 (Series tied 2-2)

Game 5: May 4 - London Nationals 3, Waterloo Siskins 5 (Waterloo leads series 3-2)

Game 6: May 5 - Waterloo Siskins 1, London Nationals 5 (Series tied 3-3)

Game 7: May 8 - London Nationals 2, Waterloo Siskins 3 (Waterloo wins series 4-3)

SISKINS PLAYOFF TEAM STATISTICS

Record: 20-10-0

Win percentage: .667 per cent

Goals for: 121

Goals against: 94

Power play percentage: 20.39 per cent (7th in GOJHL)

Penalty-kill percentage: 79.86 per cent (10th in GOJHL)
 

SISKINS PLAYOFF LEADERS

Forward: Sam Cherry - GP: 29 - G: 13 - A: 28 - PTS: 41

Forward: Sam Spaedt - GP: 30 - G: 10 - A: 21 - PTS: 31

Forward: Alex Lycett  - GP: 29 - G: 15 - A: 11 - PTS: 26

Defence: Alex Cimino - GP: 30 - G: 3 - A: 21 - PTS: 24

Goaltender: Matt Onuska - GP: 27 - Record: 20-6-0 - G.A.A. 2.85 - Sv%: .909