The Mclean & Dickey Orillia Terriers have already made history. Now, they’re aiming to do the unthinkable.
For the first time in franchise history, the Jr. C Terriers have reached the North Carruthers Division finals, a breakthrough moment for the team.
But standing in their way now is a powerhouse, the Alliston Hornets, a team that hasn't lost a single game in regulation all season.
Despite the daunting challenge ahead, head coach Dalyn Telford is making it clear — Orillia isn’t just happy to be in the division championship round, they expect to win it.
"We’re not satisfied," he said. "We don’t want to settle for just being here.”
The Terriers know the odds are stacked against them in the championship round. Alliston boasts depth at every position, an elite power play, and has steamrolled through most of their opponents. Yet, Orillia’s mindset heading into the series is this is a brand-new battle.
“We both have eight playoff wins," Telford said. “We’re going to have to play extremely disciplined and structured and stay in the moment."
Captain Dylan Palomaki echoed the sentiment, acknowledging the Hornets’ dominance but reinforcing his team’s belief that anything can happen in the postseason.
“Obviously, they’re a real solid team — they only lost two games all season,” Palomaki said. “But at the end of the day, it’s playoffs now, and we’ve won just as much as they have to get this far.”
The key to winning the series for the Terriers will be work ethic. Telford believes his team’s relentless style is what sets them apart.
“We believe we are the hardest-working team in the province,” he said. “The way to combat Alliston is to outwork them. That’s been our bread and butter all season. We don’t get outworked very often. Capitalize on our chances and play sound defensively.”
Palomaki agreed, emphasizing that eliminating mistakes and finishing scoring chances will be critical.
“We just have to do the nitty-gritty hard work and outwork them all over the ice,” he said. “And when we get chances, we need to bury them.”
While Alliston swept the regular season series, winning in all six head-to-head match-ups, Orillia isn’t intimidated. The Terriers believe they let some games slip away and are using film study to make adjustments.
“We’ve looked back at the video,” Telford said. “We feel strongly that in six of those games, we beat ourselves three times. We’ve out-shot them in three of the six, we just haven’t been able to score. That’s unlike our group. We scored 31 goals in five games against Stayner in the second round, so offensively we’re clicking right now.”
Palomaki stressed the importance of setting the tone early, especially in Game 1 on Friday night in Alliston’s notoriously hostile rink.
“If we get up early, we can silence their crowd and take a portion of them out of the game,” he said. “That makes it easier to stay dialed in.”
On the flip side, the Terriers are hoping for an electric atmosphere when they return home to Rotary Place for Game 2 on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
“Let’s pack the barn,” Telford urged. “Our crowds have been great, and when Rotary Place is loud, we just seem to keep the train going.”
For Palomaki, who is in his final junior season, this playoff run is extra special. But he isn’t letting emotions get in the way of the bigger goal.
“It’s my last junior playoff run, so you want to make the most of it,” he said. “But we’re just taking it one game at a time. The jobs not finished yet.”
Here is a full schedule for the Carruthers Division Final:
- Game 1 – Friday, March 21 – Alliston – 7:30 p.m.
- Game 2 – Saturday, March 22 – Orillia – 7:30 p.m.
- Game 3 – Monday, March 24 – Alliston – 7:30 p.m.
- Game 4 – Wednesday, March 26 – Orillia – 7:30 p.m.
- Game 5 (if necessary) – Friday, March 28 – Alliston – 7:30 p.m.
- Game 6 (if necessary) – Saturday, March 29 – Orillia – 7:30 p.m.
- Game 7 (if necessary) – Sunday, March 30 – Alliston – 2:30 p.m.