Edwardson’s scoring streak continues
Carson Edwardson is on a scoring streak most hockey players can only dream about.
With two assists Friday night in a 6-3 victory over the visiting Buffalo Regals, the St. Catharines forward has six goals and five assists in his last three games of Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League, Golden Horseshoe Conference action.
“I am just feeling good, the boys are clicking out there and my shot and timing feels good from the start,” the 20-year-old Niagara Falls native said.
Coming into Friday’s game, the 5-foot-11, 160-pounder had scored back-to-back hat tricks, a feat he had never accomplished before at any level of hockey. His two assists against the Regals were somewhat underwhelming compared to his two previous games, but he was more than happy with his performance.
“It’s good,” the former Erie Otter said. “They knew coming in that I was coming off back-to-back hat tricks and I knew that I was going to be covered out there. I had to move the puck because I didn’t have the space to shoot like I did the last couple of games.”
He knows what to do when he does get those openings.
“Whenever I have time and space, I like to shoot the puck.”
He is hoping to fill the net in his final year of junior B play.
“I definitely want to have a good last year so I can play somewhere next year at school or wherever,” he said. “I am trying to do the best that I can.”
He knows team success will help him achieve personal success.
“By being a winning team this year and going deep in the playoffs, then hopefully that will allow me to play somewhere next year.”
Edwardson would love to put up a final junior B season like his father Don did many years ago. Dad ended his junior B career with a 56-goal season for the Niagara Falls Canucks.
“That would be nice, but that is a milestone,” he said, with a laugh.
His father has played a large role in his hockey career.
“Everything I have done through hockey has been pretty much through my dad and I play because of him.”
Edwardson feels he and his dad played a similar game.
“We both had a good shot and we are both tough and pretty physical,” he said. “And we both have good hockey smarts.”
Falcons head coach Tyler Bielby feels the 30-goal scorer from a season ago has something that differentiates him from most junior B players.
“He has a legit pro shot and he shoots the puck unlike any player in this league,” he said. “If he works hard to get to those spots, with his shot and as long as he plays hard off the puck, he is going to have a lot of success.”
St. Catharines was coasting along with a 4-1 lead in the third period, before Buffalo cut the lead to 4-3 with power play goals 33 seconds apart neat the midway mark of the frame. Thirty-three seconds later, the Falcons responded with two goals in 14 seconds to seal the deal against a Regals team that is much better than past versions of the franchise.
“Give credit where it is due, they just didn’t stop,” Bielby said. “They don’t quit and they made it tight.”
He was not impressed with the third-period performance of his team after it gave up three goals in the first 9:45 of the final period.
“Make no mistake, I am not happy with our third period,” he said. “I am not happy with the lack of discipline that almost cost us the lead, but I can take some comfort in how we reacted.”
With their fourth straight win, the Falcons improved to 6-4-1 on the season while Buffalo fell to 2-7-1-1.
STATS PACK
Falcons 6 Regals 3
BPSN Players of the Game: St. Catharines’ Jonah Boria and Curtis Egert with a goal and an assist each.
For the St. Catharines Falcons: Boria (1); Andrew Somerville (4); Egert (6); Noah Solinger (2); Noah Blakely (2); Adam Cherepacha (3);
For the Buffalo Regals: Ryan Messing (4); Michael Barker (10, 11);
Game stats: Shots on goal: By St. Catharines on Jagger Maving 13-16-9=38; by Buffalo on Ethan Cook 7-5-6=18. Power plays: St. Catharines 1-2, Buffalo 2-7. Penalty minutes: St. Catharines 26, Buffalo 6.
Up next: The Falcons host the Fort Erie Meteors next Friday at 7 p.m. at the Jack Gatecliff Arena.
