Game four of the Schmalz Cup quarter-final series is underway between the Alliston Hornets and the Walkerton Hawks at the Walkerton Community Centre.

About 1,200 people packed every inch of the tiny centre to watch what has turned out to be an exciting and unusual series.

First Period

The Hawks' Todd Cooper scored just 1:14 into play to give his team an early 1-0 lead. Then Trevor Harper scored for the Hawks just under six minutes into the first to give them a 2-0 lead.  Curtis Johnston scored seven and a half minutes in to make it 3-0.

Hornets' coach Darrin Shannon then pulled  Alliston goalie Jon Porretta and put in Troy Dowswell. It's the first time in this series Porretta hasn't been in the net and the first game Dowswell has seen in some time, but he has a solid regular season record of 15-3-2 and a 2.36 goals against average. He was ranked number four overall this season in the Georgian Bay Mid-Ontario league.

Defenceman Mike James kept the Hornets in the game with the team's first goal just seconds later to make it 3-1.

Dowswell made an outstanding save with 9.7 seconds left on a short-handed play when the Hawks found a hole in the Hornet defence, despite the man advantage.

The Hornets entered the second frame with an extra man for about a half minute after a hooking call late in the first period against the Hawks.

Second Period

Just seconds into the second frame, Hornet Captain Robbie Rutledge scored off the opening face-off from his team’s side of centre ice and beat the Hawk’s Trevor Vanwyck in the five-hole from a mile away to put Alliston right back in the game.

Then a double minor against Alliston gave Walkerton a man advantage for four minutes. The clock wound down on the powerplay until there was just 10 seconds left in it when the Hawks' Justin Wakewich scored to make it 4-2.

But as so often as happened in this series, that either got the Hornets fired up. or left the Hawks relaxing, and that left the door open for Alliston's Kyle McPherson to score and make it 4-3.

Jason Campeau then scored for the Hornets to tie it up 4-4 on a short-handed play with 10:40 left to play as the Hawks' goalie Trevor Vanwyk seemed to be falling apart. The goal was disputed, but the goal judge judged it fair.

With five minutes left in the second frame, Walkerton took back-to-back two-minute minors, but the second penalty was cut short as the Hornets were called for atwo-minute minor of their own.

A bad line change led to a huge opportunity for Walkerton with seconds left in the second frame as one of the Hawks' top scorers Mike Roelofsen got a breakaway, but Dowswell came up with a huge save, leaving pundits to ponder who will start for Alliston Sunday night.

Third Period

Thomas Faris scored the go-ahead goal for the Hornets less than two minutes into the final frame and that resulted in the second goalie change of the night as Walkerton's Trevor Vanwyk was pulled and Clayton Fritsch took his position between the pipes as the Hawks had blown a big lead and chance to tie the series up 2-2.

With just under 8:59 remaining in the game, a scramble in front of the Alliston net resulted in an injury to Alliston netminder Troy Dowswell . He was down for awhile, but continued.

Hornet Captain Robbie Rutledge took a holding penalty at the eight-minute mark to give the Hawks a man advantage and a chance, but Alliston killed the penalty.

With 3:11 left to play the Walkerton Hawks'Roelofsen fed a pass to Ryan Amyot to tie it up  again.

Overtime

The Hawks' Derek Skinner was injured and carried to the bench early in the overtime frame as he took a shot to the thigh.

Then Amyot passed off the boards and gave Roelofsen a breakaway to score the sudden-death game winner just minutes into the first overtime period.

The Hornets and Hawks are now tied two games apiece after the Hornets took a 3-2 victory on home ice last Wednesday night and the Hawks won this one 6-5.

The series returns to Alliston on Sun., March 30, for game five at the New Tecumseth Recreation Complex with a 6:30 p.m. start. That game too will be updated here and broadcast live on CKNX AM 920.

It’s also going to be an exciting night Sunday as one fan will get a chance to win a two-year lease on a brand new, 2008 Pontiac Vibe AWD from Ernie Dean Pontiac Buick, GMC one of the Hornets’ premiere sponsors. Tickets are on sale at the New Tec Rec Complex – note that only 1,000 will be sold for the game, so get yours Saturday if you want to attend. The booth is open 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday  and then Sunday from 10 a.m. unitl the start of the game at 6:30 p.m.

Ticket prices, set by the league, are $10 for adults, $8 for students and seniors and $6 for kids.

The Essex 73s swept Wallaceburg in four games and are awaiting the results of the remainder of the quarter-final rounds for the Clarence (Tubby) Schmalz Cup.