Falcons blank Blackhawks
Blake Yetman has done nothing but produce since joining the St. Catharines Falcons.
The 19-year-old Whitby native has been the model of consistency in his nine games in red and white after starting the season with the Thamesford Trojans of the Provincial Junior C Hockey League.
Yetman potted his sixth goal of the season Friday to lead the Falcons past the Thorold Blackhawks 5-0 in a Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League, Golden Horseshoe Conference game at Jack Gatecliff Arena.
Yetman has now picked up a least a point in all nine games, a streak he credits to his teammates.
“Coming in playing with guys like (Chris) Reid, it’s pretty easy to put up points,” he said. “And now we added (Nicholas) Rubino and he’s more than a-point-per game guy.”
Yetman, the younger brother of former Erie Otter Chad Yetman, enrolled in school at Fanshawe College to start the school year but missed the game and asked his father to contact Falcons general manager Frank Girhiny. Girhiny was familiar with the Yetman family from when his son, Christian Girhiny, played for the Otters with Chad Yetman.
“Fortunately they needed someone and I ended up here,” Yetman said.
Yetman felt at home right from the start.
“It’s a great group of guys in there,” he said. “It wasn’t hard coming into this group.
“We have a great team. It’s been unreal.”
Yetman admitted he thought he may have played his last competitive game before hooking up with the Falcons.
“I quit hockey for a bit and I missed it,” he said. “It was tough getting my feet back after not playing for over two years but I think I’ve got them back now.”
Falcons coach Tyler Bielby was thrilled to add an offensive talent such as Yetman to the mix.
“Especially when you are trying to find ways to score and you have a guy like him who can help give you those looks,” Bielby said. “He’s a pass-first guy but then he got a chance to put a puck away (tonight) and he can really shoot too.”
Bielby has challenged Yetman to round out his game.
“If he’s working in all zones, he’s going to be just as good as anyone in the league,” Bielby said.
The game marked the first encounter between the teams since last week’s big trade that sent Nicholas Rubino to the Falcons. The ex-Hawks captain came back to haunt his former team with a goal and two assists.
There were a couple of skirmishes along the way and plenty of chirping. Finally, Thorold forward Grayson Gare and St. Catharines defenceman Cal Reesor dropped the gloves late in the third period.
Andrew MacLean turned back 17 shots for his fifth shutout of the season. The former Niagara IceDogs netminder has a 12-3 won-loss record and 1.63 goals-against average this season.
“When we got some of the defenceman we have and with the goaltending we have, I challenged the team to a less than 1.5-goals against (average) three games ago,” Bielby said. “Since that challenge we’ve allowed two goals in three games.
“The defence and goaltending is doing a heck of a job, and more importantly, some of our young guys on the penalty kill — we’re rocking it. We’re the best in the province.”
Falcon facts: Jordan Schanbacher was scratched for the Falcons . . . Dalton Wright, Tanner Hunt and Declan Fogarty were scratched for the Blackhawks . . . The Falcons food drive concludes next Friday . . . It’s the halfway point of the season so teams will now switch to dark jerseys at home and white on the road. The mid-point of the season also means it’s time for the BPSN mid-term report card next week . . . Hamilton topped Niagara Falls 5-2 while Welland edged Pelham 3-2 in other Golden Horseshoe games Friday.
STATS PACK
Falcons 5 Blackhawks 0
Former Thorold captain Nicholas Rubino with a goal and two assists.
For the St. Catharines Falcons: Rubino (6); Kyle Glenney (11); Blake Yetman (6); Sam Williamson (6); Olivier Desroches (1).
For the Thorold Blackhawks: No scoring.
Game stats: Shots on goal: By St. Catharines on Noah Fortuna (27), by St. Catharines on Andrew MacLean (17); Power plays: St. Catharines 0-for-6, Thorold 0-for-7; Penalty minutes: St. Catharines 39 Thorold 39.,
Attendance: 355
Up next: The Falcons are off until Friday, Dec. 18 when they host the league-leading Hamilton Kilty B’s. The Blackhawks host Hamilton Saturday and Pelham Monday.
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