Elora Rocks swept out of playoffs by defending champions

STRATFORD – For the second consecutive season the Elora Rocks have been eliminated from the Western Ontario Super Hockey League’s playoffs by the Stratford Fighting Irish.

Stratford completed a three-game sweep of its best-of-five quarter-final series with the Rocks with a 4-2 victory at Stratford’s William Allman Arena Saturday.

Elora never led in the game, but had it tied 2-2 six minutes into the second period. However, Stratford connected for the eventual game-winner about four and a half minutes and added an insurance marker with a power-play goal with 28 seconds remaining in the game.

The Fighting Irish had taken the early lead with a pair of goals 23 seconds apart in the first three minutes of the game.

Stratford led 2-0 at the end of the first period and 3-2 after the second.

Nick Tetley and Alex Uttley scored the goals for the Rocks while Andrew Brubacher, Jeff White and Chad Herron each had an assist.

Ryan O’Bonsawin, Spencer Mills, Justin Murray and Cameron Stokes had a goal apiece for Stratford while Murray and Ray Robbins each had two assists. Getting one assist each were Warren Gorman, Matt Fuller, Mav Petrie and Matt Henderson.

Stratford outshot the Rocks 38-20 and went 1-for-2 on its power play while the Rocks were scoreless on four power plays.

Colin Dunne had 34 saves for the Rocks while Zack Weir had 18 for Stratford.

The defending champion Fighting Irish finished first at the end of the regular season with a 16-6-2 (W-L-OTL) record while the Rocks were eighth at 10-12-2. Elora also had to win a pair of games in a wild-card, play-in series to advance to the quarter-finals.

The Rocks were ousted in four straight games by the Fighting Irish in the best-of-seven semifinals last year, but had swept Stratford in four games in the semifinals in 2022 on their way to winning the championship in the league’s inaugural season.

• Guelph Sports Journal