The Stratford Cullitons are Cherrey Cup Champions after a 12 year drought.
They defeated the Waterloo Siskins 8-3 in game 5 last night, to take the series 4-1. After losing the first game of the series, it was all Cullitons from there, winning games in dominating fashion en route the first Cherrey Cup in over a decade.
A recent 5 year stretch saw the Cullitons make the finals, only to come up short, including in 2014 when they lost to the same Waterloo Siskins franchise.
Captain Tyson Baker said to finally get it done was really special.
“At the start of the year we all wanted to win so bad, it was our number 1 goal, and to do it in front of these fans and for this town is unreal.”
Head Coach Dave Williams didn’t have many words after the big win, simply praising the team he has overseen all year.
“You know what, these guys have been incredible, our leadership group, starting with guys like Tyson (Baker), all the way down to (Zach) Van Louwe, in his last year, and young local kids like Mav (Maverick Petrie), it has been a great ride coaching this group.”
Speaking of Petrie, the young Stratford native had a momentum swinging fight in the 2nd period. Though the Cullitons were up 5-2 at that point, it seemed to take a lot of wind out of Waterloo and gave the Cullitons an added boost to close things out. Petrie spoke afterwards about his feeling winning the Cup in his birthplace.
“Being a hometown kid, this is extra special, it feels so awesome, you grow up watching this team, this is your NHL, right?”
Petrie also addressed where he drew inspiration for the big fight.
“Well, I’ve watched Slapshot a few times, maybe from there, or Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em, I don’t know,” he said with a big grin, “I thought maybe one day it would come in handy.”
Perhaps one of the best moments was seeing Zach Van Louwe, in his last year of Junior B, lift the Cup. He spoke about what it meant to him afterward.
“That feeling, when I got that Cup above my head and the fans were screaming at me…I can’t even describe it.”
Congratulations to the Stratford Cullitons, a very deserving championship bunch, and to the Waterloo Siskins, a team that came into the playoffs a 6th seed and swept away Listowel and Kitchener to be here in the finals of the Cherry Cup.
What a ride.