The Waterloo Siskins continued their smothering defensive play and wrapped up the GOJHL quarter-final series against the Listowel Cyclones with a 3-1 win in Game 4.
As Waterloo had in the previous three games, they opened the scoring. It happened in the first period when an attempted breakout was picked off by Jared Lindsay and the Waterloo forward went on a breakaway and scored. The second goal came about eight minutes later when Waterloo forward Gary Mantz circled out of the corner and fired the puck at the net as he was being hit. The puck went over the shoulder of goalie Tyler Fassl and into the net.
Waterloo scored a crucial goal midway through the second period on the power play to go up 3-0. Listowel did get on the board when veteran forward Ben Shelley broke in on a two on one with Chayse Herrfort. Herrfort feathered a pass to Shelley who buried it.
That was it for the scoring as the Siskin's turned away any other Listowel opportunities for the rest of the game.
"If you go back in all four games, we made crucial mistakes that ended up in the back of our net," says Listowel coach Jason Brooks. "They (Waterloo) kept their game consistent and capitalized on our mistakes."
As for Listowel's offense, first shots got through but follow up chances were kept to a minimum.
"They protected the house," says Brooks. "They let Datz see the first shot, he made the save, and if there was a rebound they collapsed hard."
Waterloo goalie Mitchell Datz made 137 saves in the four games against the Cyclones and ended up with a 1.99 GAA and a .945 save percentage.
For Listowel it ends a season where they won a franchise high number of games through the regular season. For Waterloo, it books a ticket to the GOJHL semi-finals against Kitchener.
Elsewhere in the GOJHL playoffs: Kitchener 4 Brantford 1 - the win propels the Dutchmen into the semi-finals versus Waterloo.
Stratford 9 Brampton 1 - the Cullitons sweep the Bombers and outscored them 37-2.
Elmira 2 Guelph 1 - the Sugar Kings take a 3-1 series lead and can clinch the series with a win Saturday night in Guelph.
Leamington 11 St. Marys 2 - the Western Conference leaders in the regular season eliminate the Lincolns in four straight and former Cyclone Derek Elliott, who plays for Leamington, had seven points in the series.