No ordinary Joe
The St. Catharines Falcons are asking Joseph Colasurdo to be something he’s not.
The 18-year-old St. Catharines native has played defence for much of his career but has been used as a forward recently due to a rash of injuries and suspensions.
Colasurdo turned in his finest performance as a winger Friday and even added a goal as the Falcons topped the Fort Erie Meteors 6-1 in a Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League, Golden Horseshoe Conference game at Jack Gatecliff Arena.
“I played forward a bit when I was growing up and when they were short forwards they asked if I could play it and I just wanted to help the team out anyway I could,” Colasurdo said. “I’m starting to get the hang of it so it’s good to be able to help them out.”
Colasurdo, who skated for much of the game on the fourth line with hard-working Jack Venneri and promising rookie Ethan Sims, admits there is lot to take in as a winger.
“The forechecks were new to me at the beginning, just learning how to go in with the first guy on the puck and the second guy on the boards,” he said. “We also worked about controlled breakouts but everything is working out great so far.”
Colasurdo realizes when he does get a chance to play, he needs to make the most of it.
“When you’re on the fourth line, you want to be a little more physical than the other lines because you don’t have as much skill,” he said. “You want to work hard and get pucks in deep so you’re skating more.
“You just have to bring it every shift.”
The Falcons don’t expect Colasurdo to light up the scoreboard, but the Grade 12 student at Denis Morris was thrilled to be able to net his third of the season.
“It feels good just to get to the net and bang one in for the boys, especially when they need me to grind out one for them,” he said.
Falcons coach/general manager Frank Girhiny loves what Colasurdo brings to the team on the ice and in the room.
“One of the reasons we kept Joe was to be our seventh defenceman and he can also play on the wing when we need him,” Girhiny said. “If he’s not the favourite player on the team among his peers, then I don’t know who is. The guys just love him. They’re happy for him and excited for him.”
St. Catharines dominated the opening period territorially and outshot the Meteors 15-3, but led only 1-0 after one on a goal by former Meteor Mike Masotti.
The Falcons took control of the game on the scoreboard in the second firing three straight goals to take a 4-0 lead after 40 minutes.
The victory was the eighth in a row for St. Catharines which improved to 35-4-0-2. They lead the Niagara Falls Canucks by one point for first place with a game in hand.
The Canucks topped the Welland Junior Canadians Friday.
The Meteors dropped to 11-27-0-3.
The Falcons have seven games remaining in the schedule and Girhiny would like to see the Falcons buckle down and get even more focused with the playoffs around the corner.
“We’re trying to turn in up but we’re playing a lot of hockey and a lot of guys are writing mid-terms,” Girhiny said. “We’re grinding out our wins. Guys are learning to grind and that’s what you need come playoff time.”
Falcon facts: Kyle West (suspension), Tanner Main and Dawson McKinney did not dress for the Falcons . . . Trey Moreau, Alex McAteer and Cail Cirillo were scratched for the Meteors . . . The Falcons will host the Lockport Regals in a make-up game from Feb. 6 on Tuesday Feb. 19 at 7 p.m. The game was originally scheduled for Lockport but the Regals agreed to play the game in St. Catharines and will be the home team . . . Niagara IceDogs draft pick defenceman Toby Rizzo (12th round, 2018) is 2-7-9 in 40 games for the Meteors . . . Falcons goaltender Noah Battaglia picked up an assist in the third period.
Falcons 6 Meteors 1
St. Catharines Falcons: Carson Edwardson 2 (28, 29); Xavier Drummond (13); Noah Blakely (12); Mike Masotti (9); Joe Colasurdo (3).
Fort Erie Meteors: Mario Lariccia (12).
Game stats: Shots on goal: By St. Catharines on Ethan Cook (38) by Fort Erie on Noah Battaglia (29); Power plays: St. Catharines 1-for-3, Fort Erie 0-for-3; Penalty minutes: St. Catharines 20, Fort Erie 38.
Attendance: 509
Up next: The Falcons visit Hamilton Saturday.
Canucks 9 Junior Canadians 3
Mitch Mendonca and Justin Kyle collected two goals each as the Canucks topped the visiting Junior Canadians.
Griffin Green, Justin Randhawa, Matthew Riva, Ryan Donovan and Andrew Bruno added singles. Nicholas Prestia chimed in with three assists.
Matthew Maidens, Cody Wall and Matt Baumann replied for the Junior Canadians, who dropped their 14th straight.
Anthony Tremonte made 29 saves in net for the win.
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