Falcons backstop named conference’s MVP
Maclean also teams with Johnson to win goaltending award by allowing a league-low 78 goals during regular season
Andrew Maclean’s play in goal for the St. Catharines Falcons didn’t go unnoticed during his first — and only — season playing in the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League.
Besides combining with Josh Johnson to earn the F.G. Tony Bloomfield Award, which is presented annually to the goaltending tandem with the lowest goalsagainst average in the Golden Horseshoe Conference, the overager from Port Huron, Mich., also won the Russel Masterson Memorial Award as most valuable player.
Maclean, who joined the Falcons after closing out a three-year Ontario Hockey League career with the Niagara Icedogs, had a league-best 1.45 goals-against average and .943 save percentage, while compiling a 27-6-1 record in 34 regular-season games. His 10 shutouts were also tops in the league.
Johnson went 9-3 in league play with three shutouts, a 2.11 GAA and a .926 save percentage.
St. Catharines allowed a leaguelow 78 goals during the regular season, thanks to the team’s goaltending tandem and Jonah Boria, the 2021-22 Dave Dunham Award winner as the Golden Horseshoe’s most valuable defenceman.
The 19-year-old from Grimsby led Falcon blueliners in scoring with 12 goals, including four game-winners, and 26 assists. He served only four minutes in penalties in 44 games.
The top three point-getters in the conference — Ethan Doyle, Caledonia Corvairs; Dylan Abbamont, Hamilton Kilty B’s; and Matthew Riva, Niagara Falls Canucks — each were honoured when award winners were introduced Saturday.
Doyle, who trailed Jeff Burridge of the London Nations by two points in the race for the league’s scoring title, received the Pat Murphy Memorial Award as the conference’s top scorer with 33 goals and 46 assists for 79 points.
Among Abbamont’s conferencebest 36 goals were nine game-winners. He also received the J.P. Thomas Memorial Award as the most improved player in addition to winning the Rob Judge Memorial Award for most regular-season goals.
After collecting 15 points with the Fort Erie Meteors and Falcons in 2019-20, Abbamont had 36 goals and 39 assists for 75 points this season.
Riva, whose 69 points led the Canucks in scoring and was fourth in the league, received the Cecil Jones Memorial Award as the Golden Horseshoe’s most gentlemanly player. The overager was assessed only 18 minutes in penalties despite seeing action in 41 games.
Welland Jr. Canadians defenceman Conner Thomson-dick received the Brent Rubel Memorial Award as rookie of the year after scoring 10 goals and 31 assists in 48 games. Seventeen of the St. Catharines native’s team-best 41 points came on the power play.
Pelham Panthers forward Jordan Tutt ended his junior-b career with the Cpl. Tyler Crooks Memorial Award as the conference’s player of the year.
The 21-year-old from Erin, Ont., north of Guelph, had five goals and 10 assists, while contributing to many initiatives in the community.
Nik Passero, who led Fort Erie to a 26-21-0-1 record in league play after guiding the team to a 15-30-0-5 finish in 2019-20, received the Tom Kelly Memorial Award as coach of the year.
COVID-19 cancelled all but the opening round of the 2019-20 GOJHL playoffs and all of the following season.