Looking back at Flyers-73s semi-final in 1987

Essex took close series 4-3

by C. Scott Holland

It is considered one of the Great Lakes Hockey League’s classic playoff contests and the two opponents were the Leamington Flyers and Essex 73s.

What is hard to believe, is that it took place over 30 years ago at the Essex arena where about 1,600 fans gathered and another 500 were turned away.

Only one thought occupied Flyers’ head coach Reg Mulholland’s mind the night of that game seven semi-final: “If the Flyers could tie it, the kids would look at one goal instead of looking ahead at a whole period.”

Instead, the Essex 73s edged the Flyers 6-4 to win that semi-final contest and went on to meet Dresden in the finals.

The Flyers’s head coach summed up the series when he said, “We had no pop left.”

Injuries and the grind of two series — round one against Belle River and the semi-final vs Essex - had left their mark on Leamington.

The playoff demand was so great that it was emphasized by Flyers’ player Jeff Cantlon who lost 13 pounds in 13 games. Three players who suffered injuries saw limited playing time including Mike Dunmore, Rob Hickson and Rick Wright, while Jerry Ribble was out with a sore knee.

MARK WEIL

Mark Weil, who had played only 12 games in regular season, was called upon to take to the ice for game seven.

Mulholland credited the 73’s ability to respond at critical times as the key to their victory.

The Flyers saw several leads disappear as Essex kept rallying, and two important goals late in the second cost Leamington. One of those was a shorthanded effort. “We couldn’t capitalize on our chances,” said Mulholland.

At the end of the opening 20 minutes, it was tied 1-1 and late in the second it remained knotted at 3-3 before those two late Essex tallies put them ahead.

But the Flyers inched closer with a goal six minutes into the third to make it a 5-4 game. However, Essex tabbed a goal minutes later to give them a two-goal cushion.

“Our team worked well,” said Mulholland. “All our kids filled their roles and did what they had to do.”

That one elusive tally when it was 5-4 could have changed the outcome but it wasn’t to be.

The Essex 73s pressure the Leamington Flyers at the Leamington Arena in 1986-87.

Photo courtesy of the Scott Holland Collection

The estimated attendance for that seven-game series was 9,000. Many fans thought the old Windsor Arena should have been used for the series, since it would have allowed for increased attendance and revenue.

The lineups: Essex - Garon (goal), Tolmie (spare goal), Finlay, Nagy, Cosgrove, Crowther, Miller, Merritt, Phillon, Rickeard, O’Neil, Shannon, D. Cantlon, Grenier, Roberts, Hossack, Tytgat, Jones, McDermott.

Leamington - Tetzlaff (goal), Walling (spare goal), Stomp, Schmidtgall, Dan Munroe, Daniels, Ferguson, Rhoads, Wright, S. Symons, G. Symons, Derek Munroe, J. Cantlon, Romualdi, Raffoul, Weil, Hickson.