Welland stung by B’s on road

Referees gave their whistles a workout when the Welland Jr. Canadians visited the Hamilton Kilty B’s Monday night and lost 2-1.

In all, 86 minutes in penalties were assessed in the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League Golden Horseshoe Conference game. Welland served 44 minutes on 10 calls; Hamilton, 42 minutes on 14 infractions.

Shots on net favoured the hosts by a 33-24 margin, and all scoring took place in the second period in a come-from-behind victory that improved the Kilty B’s to 2-1.

Welland’s Quinn Chevers broke a scoreless tie 1:29 into the middle frame.

Hamilton replied with an evenstrength goal from one-time Jr. Canadian Noah Bollert and a power-play marker from Alex Jerome.

Both teams excelled killing penalties. Hamilton finished the game 1-for-7 on the power play; the Junior Canadians, 0-for-9.

Marco Costantini, 16, of Stoney Creek earned the victory in goal, while Joey Fratantonio, 20, of Akron, Ohio, was tagged with the loss.

Jr. Canadians head coach

Keith Osborne was pleased with his team’s performance. He saw improvements from the night before, when Welland edged the visiting Fort Erie Meteors 4-3.

“There are good signs that if we continue to work with these kids, each day gets better and better, we won’t be that bad.”

The team is mostly made up of players who are competing at the junior B level for the first time.

Welland was held scoreless on the power play after going 2-for-4

with a man advantage in the win over Fort Erie.

“We got a lot of work to do,” Osborne said. “There is only so much practice time with us not having ice until September because the ice wasn’t ready in Welland.

“We are a step behind everybody.”

For the second night in a row the Jr. Canadians were solid between the pipes.

“Alex Vendette played the first night and played very well,” Osborne said. “He had 35 shots and only let in three goals.

“Last night Joey played, and played pretty good, made some big saves when he had to.

“Their first goal was a breakaway, and second one was a shot from the point on the power play that hit a guy’s arm and went into the net.”

Hamilton visits the Thorold Blackhawks 7:07 p.m. Thursday. Welland, 1-1, is off until 7:30 p.m. when the first-ever skirmish in the Battle of Rice Road takes place at Meridian Community Centre, the new home of the Pelham Panthers.

The high number of penalties wasn’t indicative of a chippy affair from start to finish. A 10minute call for head check and another 10 minutes for a helmetchinstrap violation inflated Welland’s total.

Lone Wednesday night game on the Golden Horseshoe schedule has Pelham, 2-0, on the road playing the Lockport Regals, 0-3, for the second time in as many games. On Sunday the Panthers beat the league’s only U.S. team 4-1 in their home opener.