Falcons climb into first
Ethan Sims is rounding into form for the St. Catharines Falcons.
The 16-year-old Hamilton native spent the first two months of the season on the sidelines with a broken bone in his leg suffered in training camp.
When he finally got back into the lineup, Sims had to work his way back into game shape and found ice time hard to get on a team loaded with good forwards.
Sims received an opportunity to play on the Falcons top line Friday and responded with a goal and assist as the Falcons blanked the Thorold Blackhawks 7-0 in a Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League, Golden Horseshoe Conference game at Jack Gatecliff Arena.
The win improved the Falcons record to 24-4-0-2 and moved them into first place for the first time this season, one point up on the Niagara Falls Canucks, who dropped a 7-5 decision at home to the Hamilton Kilty B’s.
Sims, subbing for Xavier Drummond who was out with an illness, was happy to contribute.
“Coming back from my injury and getting used to junior B hockey, I’m starting to get comfortable and getting into my groove,” said Sims, who was selected in the fifth round of the 2018 Ontario Hockey League draft by the Niagara IceDogs.
Sims admits sitting on the sidelines wasn’t an ideal way to start his junior career.
“I broke it a week before IceDogs camp and was really, really bummed out about it,” he said. “I was out for nine weeks and now that I’m back I’m starting to roll.”
Sims has been able to chip on offensively and not just be a bystander. In 16 games he has accumulated six goals and 17 points.
“It feels great,” he said. “I couldn’t be happier. I love the team and the atmosphere and I’m just happy to be part of it.”
Falcons general manager/coach Frank Girhiny has liked what he has seem from Sims so far.
“He’s really come along,” Girhiny said. “One of the reasons we kept him was because he played a bit for us last year and we really liked his compete level and he has a very high hockey IQ.”
Girhiny also appreciated how Sims fit in with his two top scorers.
“They were looking to feed him and he was able to capitalize,” he said. “It shows the depth of our team and if we want to continue to go on it the playoffs, we need that.”
The Falcons have now gone 25 games in a row with at least one point and their .862 winning percentage is tops in the entire GOJHL.
“The way we bounced back and persevered after a tough start, a lot of people were asking what was wrong with the Falcons,” Girhiny said. “I think they’re starting to see Falcons hockey.
“As we move into the second half of the year, we just need to continue to add and be a stronger and better team.”
St. Catharines dominated the opening 20 minutes, scoring a pair of power-play goals by Jacob Roach.
Officials took over in the second and called 35 minutes in penalties which resulted in a steady stream of players to the box and no flow whatsoever. Dakota Miskolczi scored the lone goal of the period to put the Falcons up 3-0.
The Falcons added four more in the third to conclude the scoring.
Dillon Lamarche made 18 saves for the shutout.
Falcon facts: Carson Edwardson (upper body), Nicholas Boehmer (suspension) and Xavier Drummond (ill) did not dress for the Falcons . . . Cam Lightfoot, Jonah Devereux and Patrick McClusky were scratched for the Hawks . . . Brock coach Marty Williamson was in attendance . . . Dawson McKinney and Nicholas Rubino dropped the gloves for a brief tussle in the third.
Falcons 7 Hawks 0
BPSN Star of the Game: Falcons forward Jacob Roach with two goals and an assist.
St. Catharines Falcons: Roach 2 (16,17); Kyle West (12); Dakota Miskolczi (11); Ethan Sims (6); Mike Masotti (4); Jack Venneri (4).
Thorold Blackhawks: No scoring.
Game stats: Shots on goal: By St. Catharines on Chase Grsic (27), by Thorold on Dillon Lamarche (18); Power plays: St. Catharines 0-for-8, Thorold 3-for-8; Penalty minutes: St. Catharines 34, Thorold 35.
Attendance: 531.
Up next: The Falcons are back in action Friday, Jan. 4 versus Lockport. The Blackhawks are in Pelham Sunday at 2:30 p.m. and the home to Hamilton Thursday, Jan. 3.
Kilty B’s 7 Canucks 5
The Hamilton Kilty B’s jumped out to a 6-3 lead after two periods en route to a road victory at the Gale Centre.
Jordan Stock paced the winners with a pair while T.J. Hughes, Erik Mondeax, Freddie Teeple and Noah Bollert added singles.
Ryan Donovan, Mitch Mendonca, Ben Evans, Andrew Bruno and David D’Agostino replied for the Canucks.
Panthers 7 Junior Canadians 3
Jackson Barrett scored twice as the Pelham Panthers topped the visiting Welland Junior Canadians.
Noah Caperchione, Curtis Emery, Adam Scholz, Nathan Ellis and Michael Marchesan also scored.
Kellan Rosenbaum, Cody Wall and Matt Baumann replied for Welland.
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