Canucks sing a winning tune

Danial Singer came back to haunt his former team Friday night.

The 20-year-old forward, who began his junior hockey career with the Fort Erie Meteors as a 16-year-old, scored a pair of goals as the Niagara Falls Canucks topped the Meteors 3-2 in overtime at the Gale Centre.

The Canucks won the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League, Golden Horseshoe Conference best-of-seven quarter-final playoff series 4-1 and now move on to the semifinals versus the St. Catharines Falcons. Game 1 is Friday, March 13 in Niagara Falls.

Singer, who spent time in the Ontario Hockey League with both the Niagara IceDogs and Erie Otters, tied the game at 2-2 with a power-play goal at 18:23 of the third, then won it just over three minutes into the extra period with a shot from the high slot.

“It’s a relief,” Singer said outside a noisy Canucks dressing room. “They played good every game, there wasn’t a game they gave us.

“We stuck with our game and came out with a couple of wins because we stuck to our systems and I think that’s why we got the results we got.”

Singer admitted it wasn’t easy playing the Meteors, who did a superb job of limiting the high-scoring Canucks on offence.

“It is tough, but we knew what we had to do to be successful,” Singer added.

The Meteors appeared to be headed to victory until Singer’s goal late in the third.

“They were up 2-1 but we never panicked,” Singer said. “The boys did a good job as a team and sticking together.”

Falls coach Frank Pietrangelo was happy to take care of business at home and not have to go back to Fort Erie for Game 6.

“We were prepared to win the game,” he said. “Their goalie (Jacob Hearne) played well the whole series and, make no bones about it, we knew Fort Erie was the better of the other teams coming into the playoffs. They were hot and playing well with a lot of confidence. Hats off to Fort Erie and their staff for playing so hard.”

Down the hall, as emotional Meteors coach Dave Marrone emerged from a silent dressing room and needed a few minutes to compose himself.

“It’s the most proud I’ve been of any junior team in my life and we’ve had a lot of great teams,” he said. “These guys came from nothing and reinvented themselves over the course of eight weeks.

“The credit all goes to them and to (assistant coaches) Chris Risi and Steve Dol for working to implement game plans that we developed.”

Marrone and his staff took over in January after the team had a rough start to the season and quickly stabilized the organization, on and off the ice.

“The players are winners,” Marrone said. “Hopefully at the end of the day they move on or have more significant roles in hockey.”

Marrone would have loved to have one more game at home.

“Right now we’re all a bit stunned,” he said. “My Stanley Cup would have been that Game 6 back in Fort Erie with a packed house.

“Tomorrow I’ll look back and feel better.”

The Meteors opened the scoring with a goal in the final stages of the first period when Jacob Romano floated a shot from the point past a screened Anthony Tremonte.

Following a scoreless second period, the Canucks finally got on the board with a power-play marker by Justin Kyle just over five minutes into the third.

Drew Passero then put the Meteors up 2-1 with 6:43 to play on another goal with the man advantage before Singer scored to tied the score at 2-2.

Beaver tails: Jake McKinstray and Mike Butterfield did not dress for the Canucks . . . Coleman Bennett, Riley Benevento, Dylan Abbamont and Paul Cartone were scratched for the Meteors.

STATS PACK

Canucks 3 Meteors 2

BPSN Star of the Game: Fort Erie goaltender Jacob Hearne with 43 saves.

Niagara Falls Canucks: Danial Singer 2 (3, 4); Justin Kyle (2).

Fort Erie Meteors: Jacob Romano (1); Drew Passero (1).

Game stats: Shots on goal: By Niagara Falls on Hearne (46), by Fort Erie on Anthony Tremonte (25); Power plays: Niagara Falls 2-for-4, Fort Erie 2-for-6; Penalty minutes: Niagara Falls 26, Fort Erie 12.

Attendance: 704.

Up next: The Canucks host the St. Catharines Falcons Friday, March 13 in Game 1 of a best-of-seven semifinal playoff series. Game 2 will be Sunday, March 15 in St. Catharines.

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