From the Times: Bouncing back from rock bottom
Bouncing back from rock bottom Winter Hawks find their game with two wins to clinch fourth It was like night and day. Whatever switch the Cambridge Winter Hawks had turned off since the Christmas break got flipped back on last weekend, as they shutout the Listowel Cyclones 4-0 on Saturday at the Galt Arena Gardens and edged Kitchener 3-2 on Sunday. The win, combined with Guelph’s 8-5 loss to Brantford on Saturday, clinched fourth-place in the standings for the Winter Hawks. They will host Guelph in the first round of the playoffs. The players that showed up against the Cyclones didn’t look anything like the team that’s been haunting the Gardens since 2012 rolled around. They hit, took a lot of shots and basically played a steady, 60-minute game. Winter Hawks head coach Peter Crosby said the team basically hit rock bottom against Waterloo on Feb. 5. Leading 4-1 in the second period, the Winter Hawks gave up three goals to let the Siskins tie the game going into the third period. Cambridge turned things around and won that game 6-4. “Before the third period we had a team discussion about, enough of this; enough’s enough. Let’s turn the corner and get back to the kind of hockey we can play,” Crosby said, sounding much more chipper than he did after last Saturday’s loss to Guelph. “I don’t think there’s a team in this league that we can’t compete with and beat. I think when these guys believe that, they hold true to that. “We had a heck of a week in practices. The guys came ready to go; they know what we went through. It was tough and a gut check for all of us. As bad as I was feeling last week, they were feeling just as bad.” The difference was the fact that the Winter Hawks played an up-tempo game and didn’t let their foot off the pedal. After going up 1-0 just 17 seconds into the game on a Darcy Meyer’s goal, Brandon Zimmerman, Josh Timpano and Ryan Clarke added to the lead in the second period. “That was the game plan. Get in there for 60 minutes, find that extra gear that we have and go for it,” Crosby said. Against Kitchener, Meyer, Christian Barnard and Cody Gratton scored for the Winter Hawks. Courtesy of Bill Doucet at the Cambridge Times. See the original article here.
From the Record: Kings down Siskins
Kings down Siskins The Elmira Sugar Kings turned up the heat in the third period to win 3-1 over the Waterloo Siskins Sunday night in Elmira in GOJHL action. The teams were tied late in the second before the Kings rallied for the win on goals from Brett Priestap and Brett Catto. The Cambridge Winter Hawks held on to win 3-2 over the Kitchener Dutchmen Sunday afternoon in Kitchener. After a scoreless first period the Dutchmen’s Aaron Duggan gave Kitchener a brief lead but the Hawks came back with three straight goals. Phil Edgar scored to bring the Dutchies within a goal midway through the final period but Hawks goaltender Lucas Machalski held strong to secure the win. Cambridge sits behind Elmira in fourth place in the conference. The Listowel Cyclones were blanked 4-0 by Cambridge on Saturday. See the original article here.
From the Times: Frustration setting in for Hawks
Frustration setting in for Hawks Cambridge loses to first-round playoff opponent There was a big F-bomb being thrown around at the Galt Arena Gardens on Saturday – frustration. The Cambridge Winter Hawks were left rubbing their temples after losing 5-4 to their likely first round playoff opponents, the Guelph Hurricanes. It was another performance that should have produced a collective sigh from the dressing room, as the Winter Hawks suffered their first loss of the season to Guelph, in a game they should have won if it weren’t for mistakes on the back end that turned into goals. “We’re not doing anything that we did before Christmas,” said head coach Pete Crosby on Saturday, emerging from the dressing room after a lengthy speech to the team. “We’re getting away from the simple game that makes us successful. “I’m frustrated. If it was one game out of nine, fine, but it’s been eight games out of nine. The only game we played any semblance of a full game was the overtime loss in our building against Elmira.” The frustration continued on Sunday, as the Winter Hawks blew a 4-1 lead to the Waterloo Siskins, only to play a sound third period for a 6-4 win. That might be the 20 minutes the Winter Hawks are looking for to start getting back on the winning side. Since the Christmas break they are 4-5-1. Though they’ve pretty well locked down fourth place, no team wants to be looking for answers on how to win heading into the post season. Crosby said the players are going to have to dig deep within themselves to get back to the brand of hockey that made them so successful in the first 35 games. They have six games left to find the answer. “Whatever helps those guys reach whatever goal it is they want to reach, good, but it’s not a fun ride right now,” Crosby said. On Saturday, the Winter Hawks looked like they had fight in them to start the game, erasing Nic MacEachern’s opening goal with power-play markers by Marselis Subban and Ryan Clarke to give Cambridge a 2-1 lead. The tide turned after that, as the Winter Hawks dominated possession of the puck, but their shots looked like someone moved the net three feet to the right. MacEachern tied the game and then gave his team the lead in the third, outhustling a defenceman to the net and poking a pass by Lucas Machalski. Machalski was pulled three minutes later when he misplayed the puck behind the net, allowing Mike Iacocca’s wraparound. Michael Christou brought the home squad within one, but Andrew Coupland had Brandon Stewart beat him on his left side and snap a shot past Brendan Gorecki. Brennon Pearce finished the scoring with seven seconds remaining. Courtesy of Bill Doucet at the Cambridge Times. See the original article here!
From the Times: Unproductive weekend for Hawks
Unproductive weekend for Hawks Cambridge can’t steal a point from two teams You have to go way back to recall a weekend when the Cambridge Winter Hawks didn’t receive at least one point. It was actually Oct. 1 and 2 when they lost back-to-back games to Listowel and Brantford. This time, the fourth-place Winter Hawks were shutout of the points’ column by the Waterloo Siskins and Elmira Sugar Kings.
From the Times: Cambridge quiet at deadline
Cambridge quiet at deadline There wasn’t a deadline deal by the Cambridge Winter Hawks to land the veteran defenceman they were looking for. No matter, according to general manager Ken Jeysman, as the team is in a better position by standing pat at that Jan. 10 Ontario Hockey Association trade deadline.
All three Hawks lead way at All Star Game
It was a night of killer instinct for the Winter Hawks. At the Dan Snyder Memorial Arena, in Elmira, Cambridge Winter Hawks’ Josh Timpano, Michael Christou, and Ryan Clarke represented the black, red and white, on the Midwestern Conference All Star team.
From the Times: Cambridge finds dent in armour
Cambridge finds dent in armour Winter Hawks want to make statement against the top three To Peter Crosby, Saturday’s final score was inconsequential. Sure, statistically the Cambridge Winter Hawks were able to pick up a point in a 4-3 shootout loss to the Elmira Sugar Kings at the Galt Arena Gardens. That made it three out of a possible four points on the weekend with a 5-4 shootout win on Friday in Owen Sound. But it was the way Cambridge played against the third-place Sugar Kings that had the Winter Hawks head coach smiling after the loss. “I’m proud of the boys and their effort tonight,” Crosby said. “They forced Elmira to resort to a more physical type of game to knock us off our play. Whenever you force a team into playing that type of hockey you’ve made a dent and you’ve made them fearful.” In fact, the Winter Hawks had the Sugar Kings on the ropes for most of the night, holding leads of 2-0 and 3-2, before suffering their first loss in extra time. With four games left against the teams in front of them – two against Brantford and one each with Elmira and Stratford – it’s time to make a statement against possible second-round playoff opponents. “We’re feeling good about ourselves,” Crosby said. “We’re adjusting and we’re doing some things, and some of them worked out really well tonight and we have a ways to go with other things. That’s all part of the preparation of the season. I like where we are and I like how we’re playing, but we sure as hell can’t be complacent.” Two moves made during Christmas have already paid off for the Winter Hawks, as Brock Campbell scored against Elmira and Brett Gibson – a Siskin last year but acquired as a free agent on Jan. 3 – assisted on the goal. Though Brandon Zimmerman and Tyler Snyder were still out of the lineup, and Darcy Meyer left Saturday’s game with an upper body injury, the Winter Hawks played like a team that wants to make a long playoff run. “Right now, it’s trying to get to the point where we’re ready for that big dance. I’m happy with this step.” Marselis Subban and Brennon Pearce gave the Winter Hawks a 2-0 lead on Saturday, before Brad Kraus and Andrew Smith tied the game by the 1:34 mark of the third. Campbell gave the Winter Hawks a brief lead with a hard wrist shot under the crossbar, but Lukas Baleshta tied the game again three minutes later by deflecting Andrew Brubacher’s point shot past Lucas Machalski. Riley Sonnenburg was the only player to score in the shootout. On Friday, Ryan Clarke, Subban, Trevor Hache and Michael Christou scored in regulation, while Hache had the winner in the shootout. Courtesy of Bill Doucet at the Cambridge Times. Read the original article here.
Weekend of firsts
It was a weekend of firsts for many of the Winter Hawks. With nine rookies, including a rookie goaltender, the Winter Hawks can expect a lot of firsts over a season. But crammed into one weekend? Those nine rookies experienced their first GOJHL shootout in Owen Sound, where they not only won the shootout, but cycled through 8 shooters, including rookies Andrew Coupland and Cameron Pentsa. Cody Gratton had his first GOJHL shootout opportunity Saturday against Elmira. Lucas Machalski experienced his first shootout against Elmira, on Saturday. For most of these rookies, having back to back shootouts was also a first. Machalski faced three shooters, stoning his first two aggressors, but being fooled by a Riley Sonnenburg forehand snap over the pad, but under the blocker. For the first time in his GOJHL career, Machalski stoned 50 shots. The Galt Arena faithful had its first (potential) 700+ crowd this season. Newcomer Brock Campbell had his first goal in the red, black and white. Josh Timpano had his first two ten-minute misconducts of the season this weekend (a hard pressed feat, considering last season he had no misconducts, and finished with only 61 PIM; he’s passed that mark this season, with 69 PIM). Newcomer Brett Gibson received his first assist playing in the GOJHL in 2011-12. And tonight, being the first of two All Star games between the Midwestern conference and the Golden Horseshoe conference, is the first time Ryan Clarke, Josh Timpano and Michael Christou have cracked the All Star squad. Timpano and Christou will have another opportunity next year to repeat the feat. On the Fly: Cambridge came out of the weekend with 3 out of 4 points, squeaking past Owen Sound in a 5-4 shootout victory, but being on the opposite side of the shootout outcome Saturday, against Elmira. Ryan Clarke, Marselis Subban, Trevor Hache, and Michael Christou were you scorers on Frirday, while Subban, Brennon Pearce and Brock Campbell were your goal-getters in Saturday’s shootout loss.
From the Expositor: Coaching Winter Hawks ‘most fun’ for Crosby
Coaching Winter Hawks ‘most fun’ for Crosby By Brian Smiley Posted 18 hours ago Standing behind the bench of the Cambridge Winter Hawks is turning out to be Peter Crosby’s best job. “It’s the most enjoyable experience I’ve ever had as a coach,” says Crosby, a Paris District High School teacher who is in his first season with the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League Mid-Western Conference team. “Honestly, this is the most fun and the best team I’ve ever been around in all of my coaching,” Crosby said in an interview just prior to the league’s Christmas break. “That room is so tight – it’s unbelievable how tight they are. They buy into everything, our systems, our dry land training …. They commit to two meetings, to captain meetings, they commit to video twice a week. “My focus and our coaching staff’s focus is putting the best product out on the ice right now.” Peter Crosby, coach of the Cambridge Winter Hawks “They’re right into it. They do so much for the community . . . and they don’t bat an eye.” Crosby’s coaching stints have included stops with the girls high school team at PDHS, the Brantford Blast, Brantford Golden Eagles, Paris Mounties and Brampton Thunder and Mississauga Chiefs of the Canadian Women’s Hockey League. Crosby, who lives in Cambridge, had applied for the Winter Hawks job in the past. Last June, he got the job. He hasn’t been disappointed. “I really love the direction that they had set out, about who we are, how we build the team, where we want to go, how we want to sustain a team that is going to be successful in drawing fans,” he said. “It was all laid out there. They’ve done a ton of work. You can see it in our fan base. Our fan base is terrific. “They’re running it like a professional organization. They’re running it like a community-driven organization, which is awesome.” After back-to-back Sutherland Cup provincial junior B hockey championships in 2006 and 2007, the Winter Hawks fell from the top perch. Part of the problem was that, after the championships, the team lost a good chunk of its core and now management is working to restock the cupboard. “We’re the youngest, or second youngest, team in the province,” said Crosby. “They work so hard, they buy in so much. The last five games that we’ve played to close out the break we’ve done it with 13 or 14 skaters at the junior B level.” Because of injuries, illness and suspensions, the Winter Hawks had a shorter bench prior to Christmas but they are counting on those players soon returning. Also, Cambridge has acquired Brock Campbell from the Kitchener Dutchmen and recently signed Brett Gibson, who played with the Waterloo Siskins and Dutchmen last season. Even though Cambridge is fourth in the MWC with 22 wins and 13 losses – nine points behind Elmira (26-7-1), 10 points back of Brantford (26-6-2) and 16 points behind Stratford (30-4) – the Winter Hawks aren’t looking at this as a rebuilding year. “That would be a disservice to the guys who are graduating,” Crosby said. “Guys who are 20 years old, this is their shot. “My focus and our coaching staff’s focus is putting the best product out on the ice right now. Next year, is next year.” He added that the team is putting in place plans to make a run when it counts. “We look at the year as a 51-game round robin,” said Crosby, who credits assistant coach Mike Down, a former Golden Eagles staff member, with that philosophy. “It’s about where we start, how we implement our systems, how we implement our tactics and how we implement our group bonding. “It’s all about getting to the point where we’re best prepared to play. I like the direction we’re under.” No matter what happens this season, Crosby expects to be back for a second year. “I signed a two-year contract,” he said. “This team really makes me appreciate the city I live in, Cambridge. I want to be here for as long as I can. “If the owners want to keep me here and my GM wants to keep me here and the players keep buying in, then I want to stay. “But every coach has a shelf life no matter where he goes, so I’ve got to enjoy the moment.” From Brian Smiley at the Brantford Expositor. bsmiley@theexpositor.com or twitter.com/expbsmiley
Timpano will play in All Star series
Top three scorers will represent Cambridge According to the Stratford Gazette, All Star Andrew Barton will not play for the Midwestern’s best squad. “Barton’s spot, meanwhile, will be taken by Cambridge Winter Hawks’ forward Josh Timpano,” reported the Gazette, after detailing Barton’s potentially-season-ending knee injury. Timpano has come on hot as of late, amassing 28 points in 10 games leading up to the break, dating back to November 26th. In that span, Timpano failed to collect a point in only one game (at Elmira, December 11th). His point generation has thrust him into second in the league, trailing only Cam McLean of the Niagara Fall Canucks. Timpano is tops for the Midwestern Conference, with Brad McClure of the first place Stratford Cullitons trailing by 4 points. Joining him will be top forwards, Ryan Clarke and Michael Christou, who each hold a top 15 spot in league scoring. The first of two All Star games scheduled between the Midwestern Conference and the Golden Horseshoe conference is Monday, January 9th at the Dan Snyder Memorial Arena in Elmira. Check out our Twitter feed for details on that night’s game!
