Canucks, Falcons remain in the driver’s seat
Top two junior B teams in Golden Horseshoe are 1-2 in Ontario
A team that started the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League regular season with 12 straight wins remains the toast of the junior B loop heading into the final half of the campaign.
Actually, the Niagara Falls Canucks passed the midway point of the 48-game season three games ago. Not surprisingly, each of those was a victory.
The Canucks, whose 23-3-0-1 record not only leads the Golden Horseshoe Conference but the 25-team league as well, will seek to extend that streak Friday when they host the Fort Erie Meteors at Gale Centre.
Owner-head coach Frank Pietrangelo is most impressed with the Canucks’ “continued focus” at this point in the season.
“We know each and every time we hit the ice that other teams use it as a measuring stick,” he said. “And we have, for the most part, been able to meet that nightly challenge that comes with that.”
Niagara Falls is starting to think playoffs, though not to the point of looking past upcoming opponents, especially not in the Golden Horseshoe Conference.
“There is still a lot of hockey to be played, and we can still get better,” Pietrangelo said. “With the close proximity of the teams, it allows for a lot more scouting each other, which makes each game more challenging.
“The predictability of games is not very easy, and if you’re not ready each and every time you hit the ice, you will lose. Simple as that.
Second in the ’Shoe and in the league is another team that is showing no signs of slowing down. Don’t let the St. Catharines Falcons’ modest two-game win streak fool you; they have earned at least a point in 20 games — and counting.
Their last loss in regulation? A 4-2 setback Sept. 24 on the road to Hamilton Kilty B’s.
St. Catharines, 19-3-0-2; would be tied for first in any other conference except the Golden Horseshoe. Like the Falcons, midwestleading Stratford, 18-3-1-3; and the best from the west, London, 19-6-0-2; each has 40 points, but
St. Catharines has one game in hand on Stratford and three on London.
The Falcons have also played three fewer games than Niagara Falls and are second only to the Canucks in winning percentage, .870 to .833.
St. Catharines will begin a three-in-four stretch Thursday at the Thorold Blackhawks. The Falcons host the Lockport Regals Friday at Jack Gatecliff Arena and visit the Welland Jr. Canadians Sunday.
The lone game on Monday night’s Golden Horseshoe Schedule had Hamilton home to Thorold.
Following are stats for the eight junior B teams in the Golden Horseshoe Conference:
Niagara Falls Canucks
Record: 23-3-0-1, 47 points, first in Golden Horseshoe Conference, first in Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League
Streak: three wins Offence/defence, ranking in conference: goals for, 150, 1st; goals against-average, 2.56, 4th
Special teams: power play, 32-for-121, 26.5 per cent; penalty killing, 22-for-154, 85.7 per cent
Top scorers: Austin Kyle, 19 goals, 36 assists, 55 points; Ben Evans, 21 G, 33 A, 54 Pts; Mitch Mendonca, 20 G, 25 A, 45 Pts; Dillon Hill, 8 G, 37 A, 45 Pts
Goaltending: Zach Moore,16 wins, 3 losses, 0 shutout, 2.41 goals-against average, .920 save percentage
Upcoming: Friday, home to Fort Erie; Friday, Dec. 21, home to Hamilton; Saturday, Dec. 22, at Fort Erie
Last week: win, at Thorold, 2-1 OT; win, home to Welland, 6-3
St. Catharines Falcons
Record: 19-3-0-2, 40 points, second in conference; tied with London, Stratford for second in league
Streak: two wins, 20 games earning at least a point
Offence/ defence, ranking in conference: goals for, 129, 2nd; goals-against average, 2.29, 1st
Special teams: power play, 27-for-101, 26.7%; penalty killing, 19-for-113, 83.2%
Top scorers: Jacob Roach, 13, 30, 33; Carson Edwardson, 19, 14, 33; Christian Girhiny, 18, 15, 33; Kyle West, 10, 19, 29
Goaltending: Jack McGovern, 12-1, 3, 1.92, .915; Dillon Lamarche. 7-4, 0, 2.65, .869
Upcoming: Thurday, at Thorold; Friday, home to Lockport; Sunday, at Welland
Last week: loss, at Pelham, 3-2 OT; win, at Lockport, 14-0; win, home to Fort Erie, 4-3 OT
Pelham Panthers
Record: 16-10-0-2, 34 points, third in conference
Streak: three wins
Offence/ defence, ranking in conference: goals for, 88, 4th; goalsagainst average, 2.75, 4th
Special teams: penalty killing, 21-for-154, 13.7%; penalty killing, 21-for-172, 87.8%
Top scorers: Matt Ruigrok, 8, 35, 33; Thomas Young, 12,15, 27; Noah Caperchione, 12, 15, 27; Adam Scholz, 7, 17, 24
Goatending: Brandon McCorriston, 9-5, 1, 2.44, .922; Nicholas Kidd, 7-7, 1, 2.91, .903
Last week: win, home to St. Catharines, 3-2 OT; win, at Fort Erie, 4-2; win, home to Lockport, 5-1
Upcoming: Sunday, home to Hamilton; Monday, at Hamilton; Friday, Dec. 21, at Welland
Hamilton Kilty B’s
Record: 16-9-0-2, 33 points, fourth in conference
Streak: one loss Offence/defence, ranking in conference: goals for, 97, 3rd; goalsagainst average, 2.46, 2nd
Special teams: power play, 22-for-124, 17.7%; penalty killing, 19-for-125,
84.8%
Top scorers: T.J. Hughes, 13, 23, 36; Tanner Brennecke, 5, 25, 30; Marino Moro, 9, 14, 33
Goaltending: Marco Costantini, 8-8, 0, 2.66, .914; Cal Schell, 8-2, 1, 2.03, .924
Last week: win, home to Thorold, 4-1; loss, at Welland, 2-1
Upcoming: last night, home Lockport; Thursday, home to Welland; Sunday, at Pelham
Thorold Blackhawks
Record: 12-12-1-1, 26 points, fifth in conference
Streak: one win
Offence/ defence, ranking in conference: goals for, 78, 5th; goalsagainst average, 3.12, 5th
Power play: power play, 19for-117, 16.2%; penalty killing, 17-for-103, 83.5
Top scorers: Owen Allan, 11, 14, 25; Trevor Neumann, 9, 11, 20; Brendan Charlton, 9, 11, 20; Nick
Gidney, 8, 10, 18
Goaltending: Anthony Tremonte. 4-10-1, 0, 3.37, .891; Chase Grsic, 8-3, 0, 2.45, .910
Last week: loss, home to Niagara Falls, 2-1 OT; win, at Welland, 5-2; loss at Hamilton, 4-1; win, home to Lockport, 5-1
Upcoming: Wednesday, at Lockport; Thursday, home to St. Catharines; Thursday, Dec. 20, home to St. Catharines
Fort Erie Meteors
Record: 8-17-0-2, 18 points, sixth in conference
Streak: two losses Offence/defence, ranking in conference: goals for, 75, 6th; goals-against average, 4.52, 6th
Special teams: 20-for-141, 14.2%; penalty killing, 31-for-129, 76%
Top scorers: Marco Lariccia, 9, 18, 27; Evan Miller, 14, 10, 24; Drew Passero, 5, 15, 20
Goaltending: Jacob Hearne, 6-10, 1, 4.39, .893; Ethan Cook, 2-9, 0, 4.35, .886
Last week: win, home to Lockport, 4-2; loss, at St. Catharines, 4-3 OT; loss, at Pelham, 4-2
Upcoming: Friday, at Niagara Falls; Saturday, home to Welland; Saturday, Dec. 22, home to Niagara Falls
Welland Jr. Canadians
Record: 7-17-0-2, 16 points, seventh in conference
Streak: one win Offence/defence, ranking in conference: goals for, 71, 7th; goals-against average, 4.65, 7th Special teams: power play, 19-for-129, 14.7%; penalty killing, 26-for-122, 78.7%
Top scorers: Matt Baumann, 12, 13, 25; Kellan Rosenbaum, 4, 19, 23; Mario Zitella, 4, 12, 16
Goaltending: Alex Vendette, 6-11, 0, 4.03, .911; Joey Fratantonio, 1-8, 0. 5.21, .866
Last week: loss, home to Thorold, 5-2; loss, at Niagara Falls, 6-3; win, home to Hamilton, 2-1
Upcoming: Thursday, at Hamilton; Saturday, at Fort Erie; Sunday, home to St. Catharines
Lockport Regals
Record: 3-22-1-0, 7 points, eighth in conference, last in league Streak: eight losses Offence/defence, ranking in conference: goals for, 53, 8th; goals-against average, 5.85, 8th
Special teams: power play, 6for-119, 5%; penalty killing,
11-for-88, 87.5%
Top scorers: Alex Stinis, 11, 8, 19; Nolan Slachetka, 8, 11, 19; A.J. Marinelli, 6, 12, 18; Tim Lopez, 10, 5, 15
Goaltending: Chase Clark, 2-11-1, 0, 5.73, .870; Anthony Santarosa, 1-10, 0, 5.62, .875
Last week: loss, at Fort Erie, 5-2; loss, home to St. Catharines, 14-0; loss, at Fort Erie, 5-1; loss, at Pelham, 5-1
Upcoming: last night, at Hamilton; Wednesday, home to Lockport; Friday, at St. Catharines