The Alliston squad shares first place with the Penetang Kings as of Sunday but are in position to take over the lead if all goes well in the next couple of games.
The Kings have 38 games behind them with a 32-6-0 record compared to the Hornets who have played 37 and have a record of 31-3-3.
The three-game sweep began with a road trip to Schomberg on Thursday that resulted in an 8-2 win over the Cougars.
Returning to home ice for their regular Friday -night game, the Hornets met the Stayner Siskins in a match that was pretty much over by the midway mark in the second period.
By the end of the first, the Hornets led 3-0 and capped the frame when Kyle Monpetit picked off the corner of the Stayner net on a short-handed shift.
The second period blew the game wide open with the Alliston squad scoring four more to lead by six going into the third.
Hornet captain Robbie Rutledge got his second of the game and Alliston’s second short-handed goal in a period that saw the Hornets skating circles around the visitors.
The Siskens pulled starter, Brad Kuzmich, from goal and put in Jordan Monahan to finish the game but Hornets waltzed through the third period scoring four more before the buzzer sounded to end the game.
Hornet forward Thomas Faris picked up a hat trick scoring twice in the second period and once later in the third.
The final score was 11-2.
Stayner’s, Zach Schaap got both of the Siskins markers.
Hornet goalie Jon Porretta said the move up in the league standings was good for the Alliston morale.
“It’s a good confidence boost. It gives us a mental edge,” Porretta said.
As for Friday’s game, the Hornets strong defence meant Porretta had his work cut out for him.
“They kept them to the outside. It was a no pressure game. We just wore them down. They were agitated and taking some bad penalties.”
The final weekend game got underway at the New Tec Recreation Centre on Sunday when the Fergus Devils arrived determined to take the Hornets down a notch, and they almost made good.
The Hornets opened the scoring just seconds into the first but the Devils made a strong comeback and when the buzzer sounded for the break the game was tied at three.
The Devils took the lead by one in the second period. The remainder of the frame remained scoreless setting up a wild third period that saw the Alliston squad tie it up at four, before the Devils again took the lead midway through the period.
With only a couple of minutes left on the clock, Hornet forward Brett Eeles tipped in a shot that was fired in by Brandon Elliott to force the game into overtime.
With the four against four over-time period, the pressure fell on Alliston net minder Troy Dowswell and the Devils’ Kenny Lowe. Both goalies played a hot game despite the high score.
Aaron Maltais got the winning goal just over a minute into the OT period to give Alliston a 6-5 win.
Sunday’s game was the final regular-season home game for the Hornets. They’ll finish off the schedule with five road games that will take them to every other arena in the league except Schomberg. The final regular season game on Feb. 2, against the Penetang Kings will mostly likely be one of the hottest battles of the season.
A highly charged rivalry has developed between the two teams and the Penetang home games usually host an animated crowd that are led by the infamous Penetang ‘zoo crew.’
The last game in Penetang resulted in the Hornets loosing Ryan Algar for four to six weeks after the Alliston forward was hit with a hard shot that left him with a fractured bone in his foot. Despite using a set of crutches to get around, Algar maintains he’ll be in shape to get back into the play-offs in a month.
Be sure to read the Herald for updates on the remainder of the season and schedules for the Georgian Mid-Ontario League playoffs coming up in February.
