Sutherland Cup Round Robin Game 1

The Hamilton Kilty B’s lost 6-3 to the visiting Stratford Warriors on Wednesday night in the opening game of the Sutherland Cup Round Robin at Dave Andreychuk Mountain Arena.

Stratford got going early with a goal just under a minute into the first period. In on a two-on-one, Jonas Schmidt went short-side on Leland Gill to go up 1-0. This was the first playoff game of 2023 that David Egorov did not start for Hamilton.

Later in the first, Carson Lloyd sent a nice pass to the point to Matthew Downie. Downie ripped it far side and into the net for his first goal of the postseason to tie it up at one.

Aaron Chairot received a five-minute major for head contact after a huge hit on a Warriors player. The Stratford forward was down for some time and was helped off the ice.

In the second, a scramble ensued to the right of the Kilty B’s net which resulted in a puck getting past an unsuspecting Gill to make it 2-1 Warriors. Cole Lewis was credited with the goal.

Hamilton would even up the game again a few minutes later on the power-play. Dawson McKinney cycled the puck up to Carson Lloyd who carried it to the other point. Lloyd then snapped a shot past the Stratford goaltender to tie the game at two goals apiece.

Midway through the frame, the Warriors would push ahead on a goal by Zac McCann. The shot came from a sharp angle that fooled Gill and resulted in him being pulled from the game. Gabriel Longo came in as his replacement.

McCann would strike again late in the second period after multiple Hamilton penalties. On the man-advantage, McCann stepped up and fired home what would in the end be the game winner, making it 4-2.

In the third, Dawson McKinney netted his ninth goal of the playoffs and his 18^th point. McKinney was sent in on a pass from Chris Gjoncaj before going forehand to backhand and beating the goalie to make it 4-3.

Stratford would later add an insurance goal and an empty netter to secure the win.