Weekend junior B report: From captain to coach; Panthers rebound
When Joe Colasurdo received a random text from St. Catharines Rankin Construction Falcons coach Tyler Bielby a couple of years ago, he assumed it was just a quick check in to see how he was doing.
Colasurdo had captained the Falcons to a Sutherland Cup in 2022 and the two had mutual respect for each other and remained in contact.
“I got a message from Ty one day asking how I’ve been, what I’m up to,” Colasurdo remembered, “Then he randomly asked if I had any interest in coaching. I honestly never thought about it at that point and I figured why not give it a shot? It’s an opportunity to get back to the rink and come back to this organization I love being a part of and kind of give back.”
Colasurdo joined the Falcons as an assistant coach last season and immediately knew he made the right choice.
“Now I’m here and I can’t imagine not coaching,” he smiled. “I had a feeling I would like it just being back in the locker room with the team environment and even just being around Ty and Matt Miller and Ricky Girhiny. I like being around them again and it’s just comforting being back in that kind of capacity.
“I always kind of knew it would be good to do. It’s just a matter of if I was going to go through with it and do it.”
Bielby was confident Colasurdo had the makeup to be a good coach.
“When Joe was 20 years old, he was mature like he’s 40,” Bielby said. “I was never worried about his young age, his approach. He’s always carrying himself the right way. He was raised the right way, he was raised to teach people well, treat others with respect. He was my captain the year we won the Sutherland Cup, so to be able to stand on the bench with my captain and coach with him, it’s full circle and it’s bigger than any win I’ll ever have.”
Colasurdo said he never really could break the bond of being a Falcon.
“Even when I wasn’t coaching, I would come Friday night just to see how the guys were doing, check it out,” the 23-year-old St. Catharines native said. “When I had the opportunity to coach, I really wanted to share with new kids that I didn’t really know what it felt like to win and there was no better feeling than winning that Sutherland Cup. You know you want those kids to experience that. So do the best you can to give back and share that with them.”
Colasurdo works primarily with the defence along with former league most valuable player Girhiny.
“Ricky comes out and practises with me and we do stuff with the D,” Colasurdo said. “During the games I just run the D and Ricky sits up top.
“I learned a lot from him as a player. I couldn’t have asked for a better person to teach me.”
Bielby gives Colasurdo free reign behind the bench.
“It’s really good because I played for Ty. I know what he wants. I played that way. There’s a reason why our team was successful. The philosophy is still the same. That’s the best part about it, I know where we need to be, what we need to do and I can communicate that.”
Colasurdo, who works as coordinator of communications and business development for the Professional Hockey Players Association, graduated from Brock with a degree in sport management. He is now taking classes part-time for his Masters of Business Administration.
He is able to balance both with the demanding schedule of coaching but isn’t sure if he is ready for a full-time gig as a head coach.
“I like the situation,” he said. “I love being here and being a part of this so I’m going to go from there and see.”
Colasurdo also enjoys working alongside buddy Mason Howard, who was also part of the Sutherland Cup team.
Bielby loves working with Howard and Colasurdo.
“We ask ourselves all the time, would you want to play for you? And listen, there’s times when the answer’s no and I’ve got to reassess and readjust because we’re here to help these kids develop,” Bielby said. “We’re also here to build relationships for a lifetime. To see Joe and Howie back on my bench, yeah, we’d love to win, but it’s pretty special to have Joe and Howie and coach with us this year, considering just a few years ago they had the skates on winning a Sutherland Cup. It means a lot.”
The Falcons, 15-5, had the weekend off. They are home to Caledon Friday and at Welland Sunday.
Panthers rebound
The Pelham Panthers rebounded from a tough week to earn three of four points this weekend.
Logan Snyder made 39 saves as the Panthers topped the Cambridge RedHawks 5-2 Sunday afternoon at home.
Dylan Leslie had two goals while Francesco Sanita, Cooper Drennan and Ryan Wercholaz added singles.
Saturday night in Caledonia, the Panthers earned a point in a 3-2 overtime loss.
Ethan Osborne netted the winner 2:35 into OT.
Ethan Quick and Ethan Brassard also scored for the Corvairs.
Davis Penner made 47 saves in net for the win.
Snyder kicked out 33 shots for Pelham.
Former Fort Erie Meteor and Kitchener Ranger Antonio Pugliese scored both Pelham goals.
SATURDAY
Welland 8 Caledon 4
Welland Junior Canadians: Joshua Cacciola 2; Nyklus Madere, Jordan Brown, Joey Marrese, Jack Ryan, Nick Savoie, Benjamin Moccia. W: Ivan Kastelan, 35 saves.
Caledon Bombers: Zach Grahn, Patrick Polaczek, William Divitcos, Lui Indzers. L: Nolan Godfrey, 28 saves.
SUNDAY
Ayr 3 Port Colborne 2
Ayr Centennials: Austin Keleher, Owen Ireton, Matthew Prendergast. W: Zach Jovanovski, 27 saves.
Port Colborne Sailors: P.J. Alexander, Dylan Coers. L: J.J. Salajko, 26 saves.
Welland 3 Brantford 2 OT
Welland Junior Canadians: Joshua Cacciola 2; Jack Ryan,
Brantford Titans: Tyler Crisostomo 2.
THIS WEEK
WEDNESDAY
Brantford at Fort Erie, 7 p.m.
THURSDAY
Port Colborne at Hamilton, 7 p.m.
FRIDAY
Caledon at St. Catharines, 7 p.m.
Ayr at Port Colborne, 7 p.m.
SATURDAY
Caledonia at Cambridge, 7 p.m.
Welland at Fort Erie, 7 p.m.
Pelham at Caledon, 8 p.m.
SUNDAY
Fort Erie at Pelham, 6 p.m.
St. Catharines at Welland, 7 p.m.
Cambridge at Caledonia, 7:30 p.m.
Ayr at Hamilton, 7:30 p.m.
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