Falcons rally past Panthers
Cail Cirillo earned his keep and then some for the St. Catharines Falcons Tuesday night.
The 20-year-old forward collected two goals and an assist to lead the Falcons past the Pelham Panthers 4-3 in a Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League, Golden Horseshoe Conference playoff game at Jack Gatecliff Arena.
The Falcons now lead the best-of-seven quarter-final series 3-0 and can complete the sweep Wednesday in Pelham. Game 5, if necessary, would be back in St. Catharines Friday.
“Cirillo was our pulse, there’s no question,” Falcons coach Tyler Bielby said. “He just went the whole game. He got rewarded with a beautiful goal and a beautiful assist.”
With Xavier Drummond on the sidelines with a lower body injury and captain Curtis Egert serving the second game of his two-game suspension, the Falcons were in need of someone to step up and chip in offensively.
“Our coach said right away after he got suspended someone needs to step it up and I thought that was the perfect opportunity,” Cirillo said.
Cirillo not only came through offensively, but he also saw an hefty amount of ice time along with linemates Thomas Lenart and Max Lightfoot.
“It feels good, it gives you a lot of confidence to be in a spot to help out,” Cirillo said.
Cirillo, who joined the Falcons from the Fort Erie Meteors near the trade deadline, is enjoying playing meaningful playoff games.
“It’s a great feeling,” he said. “You want to win games. You play hockey to win, not to lose.”
After each team scored a goal in the first period, the Falcons grabbed a 2-1 lead in the second when Lightfoot scored early on. The Panthers then potted two goals to grab a 3-2 lead after two.
Cirillo tied the game early in the third before Nick Volpatti netted the winner with just over eight minutes to play following an egregious giveaway by Pelham in their own end.
“We didn’t want to give them any hope and right away we just decided to take it away and just go hard on them and get the job done,” Cirillo said of the comeback.
Bielby said the Falcons were well aware how important it was not to let the Panthers back into the series.
“We talked about the journey and if you want to be the one standing at the end you’re going to look back and remember certain moments,” he said. “It was a series-changing period. If we didn’t come back and find a way to get it done, they would have been right back in the series. They would have been going home a win away from tying it up.
“The message was to stick to the game plan, don’t panic, don’t try and do it by yourself. Keep bringing it and we’ll wear them down.”
Bielby also tipped his cap to Volpatti, who led the team in game-winning goals in the regular season.
“I can’t explain Volpatti,” Bielby said. “That is now his 10th game-winner and second game-winner in a row in the playoffs in a one-goal game.”
Pelham coach Chris Johnstone had nothing but praise for his under-manned squad who had four regulars out.
“What a great game,” he said. “I’m happy with our whole series. We stayed the course and answered the bell.
“We’re so young and they’re getting a great experience here.”
That inexperience proved to be costly, however.
“We had the puck on our sticks twice in the third period and turned it over in real bad spots and they’re going to capitalize,” Johnstone said.
Falcon facts: Curtis Egert (suspension, 2 of 2), Carter Geoffroy, Xavier Drummond, Roberto Moretto and Luca Mazzo did not dress for the Falcons . . . Devin Sanders, Robbie Stewart, Austen Lucas, Terry Bridgland and Michael Hutchings were scratched for the Panthers . . . The decibel level of the music was thankfully lowered after complaints it was too loud in Game 1 . . . The Falcons awards night and banquet will be held Sunday, April 19 at Johnny Rocco’s. Tickets are $30 and are available at Falcons home games . . . In Niagara Falls Tuesday, the Fort Erie Meteors held off the Canucks 3-2. The Canucks still lead the series 2-1. Game 4 is Wednesday in Fort Erie.
STATS PACK
Falcons 4 Panthers 3
BPSN Star of the Game: St. Catharines forward Cail Cirillo with three points.
St. Catharines Falcons: Cirillo 2 (1, 2); Max Lightfoot (2); Nick Volpatti (1).
Pelham Panthers: Wyatt Thole (2); Christopher Black (1); Jonah Devereaux (1).
Game stats: Shots on goal: By St. Catharines on Nick McGowan (38), by Pelham on Blair Coffin (21); Power plays: St. Catharines 0-for-1, Pelham 1-for-2; Penalty minutes: St. Catharines 2 Pelham 4.
Attendance: 392.
Up next: Game 4 Wednesday in Pelham at 7:30 p.m. Game 5, if necessary, Friday in St. Catharines at 7 p.m.
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