Tigers Shake Off Holiday Rust, Take 4 of 6 Points in Weekend Return

STONEY CREEK, ON — After a holiday hiatus, the Stoney Creek Tigers returned to Allan Cup Hockey (ACHL) action this past weekend to kick off the 2026 portion of their schedule. While the team showed signs of "holiday rust" in their defensive zone, allowing over 85 shots across two games, stellar goaltending and opportunistic scoring helped them secure 4 out of a possible 6 points to maintain their stranglehold on first place.

Friday: Shootout Heartbreak in Dundas

The weekend opened on Friday night with a trip to the J.L. Grightmire Arena to face the Dundas Real McCoys. The Tigers roared out of the gate, dominating the first period with three goals.

Josh Pietrantonio opened the scoring for Stoney Creek, followed by markers from Mitchell Reid and Dan Poliziani, giving the Tigers a commanding 3-1 lead heading into the first intermission.

However, the Real McCoys chipped away at the lead, scoring a shorthanded goal in the second and a power-play equalizer midway through the third to force overtime. Despite 38 saves from goaltender Matt Sagrott, the Tigers fell in a shootout, with Cordell James being the lone Tiger to convert his attempt.

Final: Dundas 4, Stoney Creek 3 (SO).

Saturday: Svedin Steals the Show

Determined to bounce back, the Tigers returned to home ice Saturday night to host the St. Catharines Saints. The story of the night was goaltender Daniel Svedin, who put on a clinic between the pipes. Svedin faced a barrage of rubber, stopping 47 of 49 shots as the Saints outshot the Tigers 49-38.

After a scoreless opening frame, the Tigers' offense came alive in the second period. Dylan Madge tied the game at 1-1, followed quickly by goals from Josh Ranalli and Rhett Kingston, whose tally at 6:40 of the second proved to be the Game Winner.

Ranalli added his second of the night in the third period to provide insurance, and Mike Ruberto sealed the victory with an empty-netter in the final seconds.

Final: Stoney Creek 5, St. Catharines 2.

The Outlook

Despite the split results, the Tigers remain the class of the league. With a record of 10 wins, 1 regulation loss, and 2 overtime/shootout losses, Stoney Creek sits comfortably in first place with 32 points and an impressive .821 winning percentage.

The team will look to tighten up defensively as they prepare for next weekend’s action, which features the highly anticipated First Responders Appreciation Night on Saturday, January 17th.