Semifinals a tale of two series
Fort Erie finds itself on the brink of elimination, while St. Catharines is on the verge of a sweep
The lineup for the final in the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League’s Golden Horseshoe Conference could be set as early as Wednesday night.
The Fort Erie Meteors and Caledonia Corvairs both face elimination when they host the Hamilton Kilty B’s and St. Catharines Falcons, respectively, in their best-of-seven semifinal series.
Home teams prevailed on Monday night when post-season play in the eight-team conference resumed after a one-day break. No. 1 seed Hamilton defeated fourthseeded Fort Erie, 4-1, to take a 3-2 series lead, while St. Catharines, the second seed, edged the No. 3 seed Caledonia, 3-2, to go up 3-0.
So far every game in the playoff between Fort Erie and Hamilton has been won by the home team. However, another trend ended Monday night when it was the Kilty B’s, and not Meteors, opening the scoring for the first time in the second-round series. Hamilton had to come from behind to win Games 1 and 3.
Nathan Phillips scored two goals, the first on the power play; Connor Haynes and Justin Monteith had one each; and Braedyn Mcintosh earned the win in net, as the Kilty B’s improved to 5-0 at Dave Andreychuk Mountain Arena in the playoffs and 27-0-1 overall since the start of the 2021-22 junior-b season.
“We weren’t very good. Just flat out, we weren’t very good,” Meteors general manager-head coach Nik Passero said. “It was our only bad game in the last two months.
“Probably not an opportune time to have it, but it is what it is.”
He said the Kilty B’s need a “highlight-reel goal” to put the game away.
“We weren’t our best. We weren’t even close to our best.”
Passero expects his team to rebound with a “great performance” on home ice Wednesday night.
“If you can’t get up for Game 6 at your place with 700-plus fans, you’re playing the wrong sport.”
Fort Erie Leisureplex and Dave Andreychuk Mountain Arena are very different rinks.
“We’re a fast team, we move the puck well in our rink, and we defend really well in our rink,” Passero said. “Their rink is a little shoebox, and they play it really well.
“They’re impressive there. Their momentum is a little different when they’re in their rink, everyone is on top of you it feels like.”
Hamilton’s only loss on home ice, excluding a double-forfeit to the Niagara Falls Canucks in the season opener, was a 2-1 setback in overtime to St. Catharines on Feb. 28.
Doug Doren accounted for the Fort Erie scoring in Game 5 and Duncan Nichols-delay was tagged with the loss in net for the Meteors.
Fort Erie outshot Hamilton 18-13 and finished the game 0-for-3 on the power play. Hamilton was 1for-4 with a man advantage.
A seventh game, if necessary, would be played Friday night in Hamilton.
In league play, the Kilty B’s took the season series versus the Meteors six to one.
Falcons 3, Corvairs 2
At St. Catharines, Nicholas Rubino scored two goals, and Noah Reinhart had the game-winner 2:51 into the third period, as the Falcons pushed Caledonia to the brink of elimination.
Jacob Macdonald, power play, and Calvin Crombie replied for the Corvairs, who trail the best-of-seven Golden Horseshoe semifinal three games to none.
Caledonia outshot St. Catharines 22-20 and held the Falcons scoreless on seven opportunities with a man advantage.
The Corvairs finished the game 1-for-5 on the power play. Andrew Maclean earned the win in net for St. Catharines. Caledonia’s Ethan Langevin was tagged with the loss.
While the Falcons went 6-0 versus the Corvairs during the regular season, not including a 1-0 win by forfeit in the season opener, a sweep in the playoffs will be easier said than done, according to Rubino.
“Closing out a series is always tough, and they have a bit more to play for. Their season and some of their junior careers are on the line,” he said of the Corvairs. “Playoffs are a different style of hockey.
“Every team is going to bring it just that little bit more.”
That is proving to be the case for the Falcons in their series versus the Corvairs.
“Games have been tougher than the wins we had against them during the regular season.”
Rubino, who joined the Falcons midway through the season after parts of three seasons with the Thorold Blackhawks, is also closing out his junior career.
“I’m trying to make the most of this year. I’m happy with the group of guys I have to go all the way and win this thing,” the 21-year-old Welland native said.
Helping the Falcons win their second Sutherland Cup championship, and first since 2012, wouldn’t just let Rubino end his career on a winning note. A title would also be the ultimate going-away present for Jack Gatecliff Arena, the franchise’s home since it was founded in 1968.
“Seeing how long The Jack has been around and the teams that played there, to win something in the last year would just be awesome for The Jack and the city of St. Catharines.”
Assistant coach Matt Miller was filling in for head coach Tyler Bielby, who was serving the first of a three-game suspension.
“Matty’s great behind the bench for us. But when it all comes down to it, we as players know what to do,” Rubino said. “We know what needs to be done out there.” A Caledonia win Wednesday should shift the action back to St. Catharines the following night. Games 6 and 7, if needed, would be played Saturday and Sunday in Caledonia and at The Jack, respectively.
‘‘ If you can’t get up for Game 6 at your place with 700-plus fans, you’re playing the wrong sport. NIK PASSERO FORT ERIE METEORS GENERAL MANAGER-HEAD COACH