Defenceman a big part of the new Hornets line–up

September 10, 2014 · 0 Comments

After playing a single season with the Mount Forest Junior C Patriots in the Western Ontario Junior C Hockey League, defenceman Matt Taylor signed with the Alliston Junior C Hornets -the six time consecutive champions in the Georgian Mid Ontario Junior C Hockey League.
Taylor joins Jamie Bennett to make it two Shelburne players are part of the Hornets organzation.
Taylor previously played on the provincial champion Centre Dufferin District High School team before becoming ineligible for high school hockey when he signed on with the Patriots.
As a defenceman, Taylor suited up for all 35 Patriots games in the 2013 / 14 season.
“It’s good chemistry,” he said of why he decided to make the switch to Alliston. “I knew some of the guys on this team before, and I’ve played against some of the guys as well. Also, I was told I’d be a starting defencemen up here – I’d be part of the team right away.”
For the Alliston management to make that kind of offer means they have a lot of confidence in his ability. Hornets management made the office at the end of the 2014 season.
The Hornets currently have six defencemen on the roster and are still looking for one more to complete the line-up.
The 18 year-old thinks the team is looking strong in the early going – but concedes they’ve only played a few exhibition games and completed the Alliston Hornets Junior C Hockey tournament on the weekend.
“It’s looking good. We’ve only had a couple games so we still have to work on a few things, but so far it’s going pretty good.”
The Hornets have a considerable fan base in Shelburne with local residents regularly seen in the stands at the New Tecumseth Recreation Centre.
With a couple of Shelburne kids on the roster, they have something more to cheer about.
The GMHL season gets underway this week with the first Alliston game in Shelburne on September 11.
The first home game is scheduled for Friday, September 19, against the Schomberg Cougars.
Game time is 7:30 p.m.

By Brian Lockhart