Slow start not a concern for Falcons
The St. Catharines Falcons are off to an 0-2 start to the season. PHOTO BY: Michael DiBattista
The St. Catharines Falcons are off to an uncharacteristic 0-2 start to the season, but head coach/general manager Frank Girhiny is quick to point out two games do not a season make.
The Falcons opened the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League season with a pair of losses to the Niagara Falls Canucks last week, permitting 12 goals while scoring just four.
“I don’t think the scores were anywhere indicative of the course of the game,” Girhiny said. “I’ve never been 0-2 and I don’t think our franchise ever has, but it is what it is.
“Where we are today and we’re we’ll at by Christmas, I can assure you will be two different teams and we’re excited about that.”
Girhiny points to the club’s youth and significant turnover in the offseason as the two main factors for the slow start.
“We’re resetting and getting better every week,” he said. “With the youth of the team and the newness of the team, there is a lot of getting used to.
“There’s no excuses. We like what we have but we’re young and real new.”
Having said that, Girhiny knows the Falcons must be better.
“We have to be ready to play and play as a unit and we didn’t do that,” he said. “There were some parts of the game where we played really well and other parts where we didn’t.
“A lot of hard work and playing smart hockey is what we need over the next few weeks to get ourselves on track.”
The Falcons take on Fort Erie Friday at Jack Gatecliff Arena and then travel to Hamilton Monday to take on the Kilty B’s.
“We have to give them some time. We’re confident in our coaching style and what we want to get accomplished,” said Girhiny, who is being assisted this season by Chris McLean, Rick Girhiny and Jack Davison. “It’s just going to take a little more time than in previous years where we had a lot of returning guys and veteran players who pick it up a lot quicker.
“We’re not pushing the panic button.”
The Falcons are slated to get veteran Dakota Miskolczi back in the lineup as well as forwards Gage Stephney and Jacob Roach. As well, centre Carson Edwardson has been released by Drummondville of the Quebec Major Junior League and is expected to be back, according to Girhiny.
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