The Junior C Alliston Hornets are tied 1-1 in their best of seven series against the Walkerton Hawks after winning the series opener 6-3 at the New Tec Rec centre on Saturday, then dropping game two 4-3 on the road in Walkerton the very next night.

The loss brought to an end a five-game winning streak the Hornets had carried over from their league championship series.

The Hawks/Hornets series is the quarter-final round of the OHA Junior C Ontario Schmalz Cup Championship.

It didn't take long for the two championship teams to size each other up at the series opener. After a fairly even but cordial game in the first period, both squads decided to exercise a little muscle and play got more physical as the night wore on.

The Hawks are the Western Junior C Hockey League champions after knocking out Kincardine in six games in that league's final. The Hornets come to the series as Georgian Bay Mid-Ontario champions after downing two-time Schmalz Cup champions (2006 and 2007) the Penetang Kings.

This is the first time the Hornets have met the Walkerton team and no one was really sure what to expect.

After a scoreless first period in the series opener, the Hornets took a lead midway in the second during a power play when Ryan Algar took the feed from Jason Campeau. With 40 seconds left on the clock Thomas Faris found the spot to give Alliston a 2-0 lead going into the third frame.

The Hawks came out hard in the third period scoring early on when Mike Roelofsen found the mark during a scramble in front of the net. Trevor Harper tied it up firing a hard shot from the point during a Walkerton power play to make it 2-2.

The Hornet squad turned the game around after that, dominating the ice for the rest of the period and scoring three more, including two that came only 25 seconds apart. Zenon Byblow and Kyle McDowell got goals number three and four.

Algar made the play of the game when he charged past the right side of the Hawks' net then back-handed the puck to Jason Farquhar who was already in position to capitalize on the open side of the net to give the Alliston squad its fifth goal of the night.

Algar led the Hornets in assists during the regular season picking up 33 after playing only 29 games.

Alliston winger Jason Campeau scored with 5:27 left on the clock.

Trevor Smith got the Hawks' third goal with just over four minutes remaining.

"It's like the first game of the season." Alliston netminder Jon Porretta said after Saturday's game.

"You haven't been able to feel out the other team. You've never seen them play, you don't know anything about them. Our coach went and watched their last game of the season and told us what he had seen, so that's all we knew. No one else (on the Alliston team) had ever seen them play."

Despite the close score in the second and scoreless first period, Porretta felt confident that they had outplayed the Hawks in both periods.

"We could have buried them in the second. We had that five-on-three, hit a couple of posts, had empty nets and just missed them. They're going to be po'd in the next game losing that big in the first game of the series and how it ended. I can see the series getting a little rougher."

Game two of the series in Walkerton Sunday had a huge turnaround when Alliston dropped a two-goal lead in the second period.

After scoring three times to tie it up and go ahead 3-1 in the first seven and-a-half minutes, the Hornets lost it when Walkerton came back to score twice late in the frame.

An early third-period goal by Trevor Smith gave the Hawks the lead and the win.

Goalie Trevor Vanwyk gave the Walkerton team a boost between the pipes, stopping 33 Hornets shots.

Porretta's premonition was right, The physical play that began in game one of the series carried on into game two, with penalties continuing to play a factor. Referees handed out 45 penalty minutes to the Hawks, and 31 minutes to the Hornets, including nine misconduct penalties between the two teams for unsportsmanlike play, inciting opponents and abusing officials.

The Hornets scored only two power-play goals in 12 opportunities, while the Hawks scored one goal in five chances with a man advantage.

In other Schmalz Cup quarter-final action, Essex leads Wallaceburg 2-0, Napanee leads Georgina 2-0, and Grimsby leads Norwich 2-0.

Game three of the Hornets/Hawks series will go ahead at the New Tecumseth Recreation Centre on Wed., Mar. 26. The puck drop is scheduled for 8 p.m. Game four of the series is back at the Walkerton Community Centre on Fri., March 28 at 8:30 p.m. Game five will be played Sun., March 30 in Alliston at 6:30 p.m. with game six slated for Wed., April 2 in Walkerton at 8:30 p.m. and game seven in Alliston at 8 p.m. on Thurs., April 3.

All games in the remainder of the series will be broadcast live on CKNX Radio AM 920 out of Wingham. Although you can't pick up the games on a regular radio here, live web streaming is available with a Windows Media Player on your computer at its website, a link to which is provided.

In the pre-game show Saturday, CKNX's Steve Sabourin and Scott Pettigrew mentioned that the Hornets have lost the 52-point season talents of 5'11" left winger Brett Eeles, who left the team to head west and take a job as a firefighter.

Another interesting note is that the ice surface at the New Tec Rec is a little bigger than the Hawks are used to, so they'll have to get their legs under them in the away games in the series.

Tickets for the Alliston home games are on sale at the New Tecumseth Recreation Complex kiosk. Just over 1,000 will be made available with 875 in the stands and some extra standing room space at the end of the ice and in the restaurant area. Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for students and seniors and $6 for children under 12. Prices are set by the Ontario Hockey Association for all post-season cup races.