Hats off to DiFrancesco
Dominic DiFrancesco found out the grass isn’t always greener on the other side of the ice.
The 18-year-old winger began the season with the Niagara Falls Canucks of the Ontario Junior A Hockey League, but found himself back with the Fort Erie Meteors before Christmas.
DiFrancesco scored three times Tuesday as the Meteors blanked the Port Colborne Sailors 4-0 to take a commanding 3-0 lead in their Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League, best-of-seven quarter-final playoff series.
The Meteors can complete the sweep and advance to the semifinals with a win in Port Colborne Saturday.
DiFrancesco netted a natural hat trick, including his third into an empty with just under four minutes to play.
“It felt great, the better feeling is we won in playoffs,” DiFrancesco said. “It was great to win. We have one more win left. There’s nothing better than moving on to St. Catharines and this team is going to bring it to them as well.”
DiFrancesco, who was selected in 14th round (280th overall) by Flint Firebirds in 2022 OHL Priority Draft, had a solid rookie season with the Meteors last year before moving to the Canucks where he netted two goals in 23 games.
“It was difficult, it was a completely different atmosphere,” DiFrancesco said. “I didn’t feel like it was the right spot for me. Coming back down to junior B, the reason why I loved hockey, coming back here reminded me of that. Coming back to a place where I love everybody and everybody is always nice and it’s great to be around them.”
The St. Catharines native went through a period of adjustment with the Meteors upon his return.
“The boys here are awesome, they smoothed me into it,” he said. “It was great getting to know them and once I felt comfortable with them I started getting my game back and started looking better ever since.”
Meteors general manager Nik Passero said the club gave DiFrancesco the necessary space to reacclimatize himself to junior B.
“I don’t think he had a great experience there and when he came back he was fragile, he was not the Dom we knew. It’s been a long two months getting him to this point,” Passero said. “He’s been patient with us and we’ve been patient with him and now it’s starting to pay off.”
DiFrancesco skated on an effective unit Wednesday with rookie Aiden Zimmerman and speedy Chaka-Benjamin Ntumba-Muntu.
“He’s been really good all playoffs and we need goals from all lines and that third line today had three, so that’s huge,” Passero said.
The Mets jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead seven minutes into the game.
“We had a good first 10 minutes and then the second 10 minutes we kind of laid off the gas,” Passero said. “We locked it down defensively and Charlie (Burns) played great in goal.”
Passero doesn’t think Friday night will be a cakewalk into the second round.
“We have to win Friday and end it. They’re going to be battled tested and ready to go, especially at home. They don’t die. They battle the whole 60 minutes and I don’t expect them to come out and lay an egg Friday.”
Metscellaneous: Andrew MacNiel, Nolan Stickland and Owen Cressman were scratched for the Meteors . . . Val Johnson, Gavin Torkoff, Nick Tymochenko, Aydan Doyle and Gabe Trozzo (suspended) did not dress for the Sailors . . . Welland topped Hamilton 4-0 Wednesday to even that series at 2-2. Game 5 is Thursday in Hamilton.
STATS PACK
Meteors 4 Sailors 0
Fort Erie’s Dominic DiFrancesco with three goals.
Fort Erie Meteors: DiFrancesco 3 (1, 2, 3); Kyle Adamo (2).
Port Colborne Sailors: No scoring.
Game stats: Shots on goal: By Fort Erie on Isaac Gravelle (50), by Port Colborne on Charlie Burns (20); Power plays: Fort Erie 0/4, Port Colborne 0/5; Penalty minutes: Fort Erie 45, Port Colborne 43.
Attendance: 625
Up next: Game 4 Friday at Port Colborne, 7:30 p.m. Game 5, if necessary, Saturday at Fort Erie, 7 p.m.
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