Canucks fall to Siskins
The Niagara Falls Canucks dropped a 6-4 decision at Waterloo Sunday. File photo by: BERNIE PUCHALSKI
The Niagara Falls Canucks have dug themselves an early hole in their quest for an Ontario championship.
The Canucks dropped a 6-4 decision at Waterloo Sunday afternoon and now trail the Siskins 2-0 in the best-of-seven Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League Sutherland Cup semifinal series.
The series resumes Tuesday in Niagara Falls with Game 3.
The Canucks raced out to a 3-0 lead by the two-minute mark of the second period and led 4-2 before the Siskins scored a late goal to narrow the margin to 4-3 after two.
Waterloo then dominated the third period with three unanswered goals.
“We made some mistakes and they capitalized on them,” Canucks coach Frank Pietrangelo said. “They got a couple of quick ones in the third and that took the wind out of our sails.”
Pietrangelo said the Canucks simply have to be better.
“They’re a good team, they wouldn’t be here if they weren’t a good hockey club, but it comes back to us. I don’t think it’s anything to do with them, I think it’s more us.
“We had a 3-0 lead and it’s nothing they did, it’s what we did. We let it slip away and we can’t have that happen.”
The Canucks now face an almost must-win situation at home Tuesday or risk falling behind 3-0.
“You look around any league and it’s tough to come back when you’re down 3-0,” Pietrangelo said. “It’s a big game for us. We really have to bear down and starting winning consistently, otherwise we’re going to let this slip away from us.
“It has to be our best game.”
Nicholas Prestia, Justin Randhawa, Andrew Bruno and Mitch Mendonca scored for the Canucks.
Alex Lycett paced the Siskins with a pair of goals while Owen Lane, Benton Hayes, Sam Cherry and Jeff Schrattner added singles.
Niagara Falls went 1-for-6 on the power play while the Siskins went scoreless in six opportunities with the man advantage.
Zach Moore made 25 saves in net for the Canucks and took the loss.
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