A big road win for the Alliston Hornets.
The Georgian Mid-Ontario champs defeated Walkerton 5-4 last night to grab Game 1 of their best-of-seven OHA Junior C quarterfinal series.
It was a full house at the Walkerton Community Centre but there was no home ice advantage for the Hawks.
The Hornets dominated the first two periods scoring twice in the first and two more in the second.
Alliston got two goals from Thomas Faris while Trevor Smith and Bill Terpstra each scored twice for Walkerton.
The Western Junior C champs lost a key player just 3 minutes into the game when Trevor Harper was penalized for checking a Hornets player from behind.
The penalty also came with an automatic ejection from the game.
Alliston opened up a 3-0 lead on goals by Ryan Algar, Faris, and Kurtis Brossard.
Walkerton replied with a power play goal by Smith in the second before Kyle McDowell made it 4-1 for the Hornets after 40 minutes.
The Hawks made it close in the third thanks to power play goals from Terpstra and Smith to make it 4-3 for Alliston.
Faris added an empty-netter to with a minute-20 left to make it 5-3 before Terpstra scored a minute later cutting Walkertons deficit by 1.
Hornets goaltender Tom Dowswell wasnt too busy in net but did make some key saves when Walkerton was pressing in the second half of the game.
Dowswell made 18 saves in the game while Clayton Fritsch stopped 21 for the Hawks.
The Hornets have a 1-0 lead and take home ice advantage in the series with Game 2 on tonight at the New Tecumseth Recreation Centre in Alliston.
Face off is set for 6:30 P.M.