Irish shipwreck Lakers, get stung by Killer Bees in Teddy Bear Toss game

Stratford Irish players and staff collects the teddy bears on the ice at the Allman Arena on Dec. 6.

The Stratford Irish looked to climb back up on the contention ladder as they faced the last-place Woodstock Lakers and the division-leading Alvinston Killer Bees on the weekend.

Stratford continued to restock its roster for its imminent playoff run, making another series of moves on Dec. 3 and Dec. 4.

On Dec. 3, the Irish acquired Travis Winkworth from the Tilbury Bluebirds in exchange for Ethan Nother. The next day, the Irish made notable moves to improve their goaltending, signing Jesse Grimes and making a key trade by acquiring Mario Cavaliere from the Halton Hills Coyotes in exchange for Marek Pavlas.

The opening night starter for the Irish, Pavlas appeared in three games with the team, going 2-1 with a 4.62 goals-against-average and a save percentage of .896. Cavaliere comes to the Irish with a 2-2-0-1 record, a 4.44 GAA and a .906 save percentage.

The Irish got back to their winning ways in convincing fashion with a 10-2 road win over the Woodstock Lakers on Dec. 5. Like the acquisitions from last week, both newcomers Cavaliere and Winkworth made an immediate impact with their new squad.

Stratford got on the board under three minutes into the first period on a goal by Jeff Silver from Matthew Montgomery and the newcomer Winkworth.

Midway through the period, the Irish increased their lead on the powerplay by Thomas Maia from Winkworth. Cole Thiessen from Brandan Charlton and Ethan Salter late in the period gave the Irish a 3-0 lead after 20 minutes.

Irish team captain Zach Magwood joined the goal-scoring barrage early in the second period from Magwood and Thiessen, and Maia’s second of the game midway through the period put the Irish in a commanding 5-0 lead.

Woodstock answered back with two goals of their own in a span of over a minute, but their comeback efforts proved difficult in this game as the Irish continued to pour on five more goals in the final frame.

Thiessen and Salter both led the Irish with four points, while Winkworth had three assists in his debut. Cavaliere made 44 saves in his first win as a member of the Irish.

On Dec. 6, the Irish hosted their annual Teddy Bear Toss game against the Alvinston Killer Bees at the Allman Arena.

Alvinston got on the board early in the first period to lead 1-0. In the second period, the Killer Bees added a pair to have a commanding 3-0 lead through 40 minutes. The Irish got on the board at 3:43 in the third period as Salter scored the magical goal, and the fans filled the rink with teddy bears.

Although the Irish put on the offensive pressure, the visitors added an empty netter with 12 seconds left to win the game 4-1. Zachery Weir took the loss in goal for the Irish, making 27 saves on 30 shots.

Following the game, Salter commented on scoring the special goal.

“It was very exciting. Typically, when I score goals, stuff isn't thrown on the ice. And it was great to see all the fans that came out and supported the good cause tonight,” Salter said.

“And you know, we play for the kids, right? The kids in the community. So, it was a very exciting moment when I saw the teddy bears raining down after that puck went in.”

Weir reflected on the teddy bears on the ice when Salter scored the goal.

“It's awesome. I mean, it's always a good showing here in Stratford. It's good to see that many people are here for a good cause. I'm glad we were able to get one tonight so that everyone can let them fly,” Weir said.

Stratford hosts the Strathroy Jets in a crucial matchup for playoff positioning at the Allman Arena on Dec. 13.