Canucks force Game 5
The Niagara Falls Canucks edged the Waterloo Siskins 4-3 Friday to force a Game 5 Friday at the Gale Centre in Niagara Falls. File photo by: BERNIE PUCHALSKI.
The Niagara Falls Canucks will live to see another day.
The Canucks staved off elimination with a 4-3 victory over the Waterloo Siskins Thursday night at the Waterloo Recreational Complex.
The Siskins, champions of the Mid West League, still lead the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League Sutherland Cup best-of-seven semifinal 3-1 and can advance to the finals with a win in Game 5 Friday in Niagara Falls. Game 6, if necessary, would be back in Waterloo Sunday at 1:30 p.m.
“We played a good game. We deserved to win,” Canucks coach Frank Pietrangelo said. “I thought we deserved to win last game, but our main focus was tonight and then get it back home tomorrow (Friday).
“It’s one game at a time. We’re happy we won but we didn’t do anything yet. We’re still down 3-1, but it’s good to see us get rewarded for a change.”
The Canucks jumped out to a 2-0 lead after one period on goals by Andrew Bruno and Mitch Mendonca. Niagara Falls outshot Waterloo 8-6 in the opening 20 minutes.
The Siskins made it 2-1 when Alex Lycett scored just over a minute into the second period, then tied the game at 2-2 on a goal from Sam Cherry at the 8:23 mark. Each team recorded 11 shots on goal in the period.
The Canucks built a 4-2 lead with goals in the third by Patrick McCabe and Mitch Mendonca before Lycett scored again late for Waterloo.
“We got out a lead, which is good, but they came back and this time we didn’t wilt,” Pietrangelo said. “We held our ground and came back to score a key goal to get us the lead back.
“We played well defensively and our goalie (Zach Moore) played well, obviously.”
Waterloo outshot Niagara Falls 29-26. The Siskins went 1-for-7 on the power play while the Canucks were scoreless in four opportunities with the man advantage.”
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