No place like The Jack
Falcons even Golden Horseshoe final versus Caledonia with Friday win on home ice
The St. Catharines Falcons won the numbers game that counted.
While the Caledonia Corvairs outshot St. Catharines by a wide margin, 56-26, Friday night at Jack Gatecliff Arena and were better on special teams, scoring on the power play as well as shorthanded, it was the Falcons who defied the numbers and prevailed 3-2 in overtime.
Greg DiTomaso’s goal from Lucas Smilsky and team captain Justin Felker 6:40 into the first overtime periods knots the bestof-seven Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League Golden Horseshoe Conference final at one win apiece. Game 3 was Sunday at Halidmand Centre in Caledonia (see our website for results).
Two-plus overtime periods were needed Wednesday in Caledonia before the No. 1 seed Corvairs edged the second-seeded Falcons 3-2, but DiTomaso said the team was “too pumped up” to even think about how tired they were after the Game 1 marathon.
“We had our chances last game to finish them in the first and second overtime, and they got a break in the third overtime,” he said. “We’re a very confident group, so no matter if it’s overtime, first period, second period, third period, we’re just going to put pucks on net and go do our job.”
“Just get shots on net, and good things happen.”
Though Caledonia came from behind to win the opening game of the series, the Falcons had no difficulty from bouncing back from the road loss, DiTomaso said.
“It’s Game 1 and tons of things happen in Game 1,” he said. “I’ve seen teams win Game 1 and they lose the series.”
“Coming back here for Game 2, we were all pumped up and ready to play coming back here, and it showed today.”
The series opener was 17 minutes shy of two full games, but fatigue wasn’t much of a factor when the top two teams in the league during the regular season renewed their playoff rivalry two nights later in St. Catharines.
“We played with all four lines, so our fours were fresh, we rotated six D” he said. “I’ve played many of those (overtime games) in my time in the OHL and junior A, you’re tired but the adrenalin kicks in and it just takes off.”
He couldn’t say enough about Owen Savory’s strong play in net for the Falcons.
“We have one of the best goalies in Ontario,” DiTomaso said. “Savory was saving everything, left, right and centre.
“He’s helping us out huge, in this series, this season and everything.”
It was Savory’s second standout performance in as many games. He stopped 53 of 56 shots in the series opener.
Zach Main, on a wrist shot from the left faceoff circle that beat Bradley Van Schubert on his stick side, opened the scoring for the Falcons 4:53 into the game. It was the Welland native’s seventh goal of the playoffs.
Trent Mallette’s equalizer Caledonia was almost a carbon copy of Main’s goal. Same general area on the ice, same result, except the Corvairs were on the power play.
Four St. Catharines penalties contributed to the visitors outshooting the Falcons 25-6 in the opening period.
As the second period got underway Caledonia continued its dominance on the shot counter, but the Falcons were the first to find the back of the net in the middle frame. The even-strength marker was Jake Lloyd’s third of the playoffs.
After serving five straight minor penalties, as well as a 10-minute misconduct, the Falcons finally got a power-play opportunity at the 7:47 mark of the second period. However, the Corvairs were the ones to take advantage of the extra ice, with Quentin Maksimovich tying the game with a shorthanded goal.
More action took place between the blue lines in the second period, with shots on goal 12 apiece.
Caledonia outshot St. Catharines 10-2 in a scoreless third period and headed into extra time enjoying a 47-20 margin on the shot counter. Falcons Feathers: St. Catharines is playing Caledonia for the Golden Horseshoe championship for the fourth year in a row .… The Covairs won the season series four wins to two, nine points to three.