January 5, 2025 – Listowel, ON
In a tightly contested game, the Listowel Cyclones were narrowly defeated 2-1 by the Stratford Warriors at home on Sunday, January 5th, before 546 fans in attendance for the annual Teddy Bear Toss game. Despite a solid effort, the Cyclones couldn’t overcome a two-goal deficit after the second period, despite a spirited third-period rally.
The first period was a defensive battle with neither team able to find the back of the net. Both the Warriors and Cyclones traded shots, but the opening frame ended in a 0-0 stalemate, thanks in large part to solid goaltending on both ends.
Stratford broke the deadlock in the second period, with two unanswered goals putting them up 2-0. Listowel’s defense and goaltender Riley Arts stood tall, but the Warriors capitalized on a couple of key opportunities to take control.
The Cyclones came alive in the third period, showing resilience and pushing hard to close the gap. Midway through the frame, forward Tate Brennor got the Cyclones on the board with a crucial goal. Brennor’s tally was assisted by Teague Vader and Chris O’Flaherty, but despite a late surge, the Cyclones were unable to find the equalizer.
Riley Arts, who faced 35 shots throughout the game, was impressive in goal, stopping 33 of those attempts. His performance kept the Cyclones in the game, especially as the Warriors applied pressure in the final minutes.
The Cyclones now look ahead to their next game, which will be on Friday, January 10th at 7:30 PM at the Steve Kerr Memorial Arena. The Listowel Cyclones will play host to the London Nationals in what is sure to be another exciting matchup. Fans are encouraged to come out and support the team as they aim to bounce back from the loss.
