Falcons fall flat
St. Catharines Falcons coach Tyler Bielby was in no frame of mind to find a silver lining in the dark cloud or think of the glass as half full instead of half empty.
Bielby was understandably annoyed, frustrated and perturbed following a 4-3 overtime loss to the Welland Junior Canadians in Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League action Friday night at the Seymour-Hanna Sports Complex.
Bielby had a quick chat with his team following the loss and then met with the press to express his displeasure with the effort.
“They better be humbled real quick,” he said. “The reality is they won six overtime games this year. They are not a team that blows teams out. They don’t show up to work, they’re not gonna win hockey games. They got outworked tonight, they got outcompeted and they weren’t prepared starting in practice this week.”
Bielby said it is up to the leadership group to take charge.
“It’s gotta come from within,” he said. “We just challenged our 20-year-olds and our leaders. At the end of the day, if this team isn’t prepared to play and not focused at the beginning of games, those guys have to sort it out.
“It’s their dressing room.”
Bielby dismissed the notion the loss may be a blessing in disguise if a lesson can be learned.
“Maybe, but I think their eyes are going to be open because they have 10 games left and they gave up a really important point. We can talk about everything, but they gave up a point where they can’t give up that point.”
The Falcons, 34-4-3, lead the Hamilton Kilty B’s by four points for first place with a game in hand. Hamilton topped the Niagara Falls Canucks 6-2 Friday to pick up a point on St. Catharines.
Bielby squelched any thoughts the team might be too concerned with the standings.
“Just focusing on one game at a time — that’s not a first place hockey team out there tonight,” he said. “They have bigger worries than first place. They have to get ready and be ready to go.”
The Falcons are in Port Colborne Saturday night versus Thorold followed by a Sunday afternoon game at Pelham.
Bielby said there is no time to get down.
“It has to be a short memory. They have to feel it in there, feel it together, and then get home and get some rest and something to eat and be ready to go tomorrow.”
The Falcons outshot Welland 18-9 in the first period but went into the dressing room down 1-0 following a late goal by Gabriel Chiarot.
Welland built a 3-1 lead by the four-minute mark of the second before the Falcons found some life and tied the game at 3-3 on goals by Chris Reid and Parker Forlin.
Following a scoreless third period, Kevin Gould netted the winner at the 4:22 mark of overtime.
Falcon facts: Cam Lowe, Michael Colavecchia and Colin Ewing did not dress for the Falcons . . . Peter Spameni, Tyler Isherwood, Liam Legault, Val Johnston and Cody Inness were scratched for the Junior Canadians . . . Caledonia topped Thorold 4-3 to move three points up on the Blackhawks for fourth place.
Junior Canadians 4 Falcons 3 OT
Welland’s Kevin Gould.
St. Catharines Falcons: Parker Forlin (15); Chris Reid (13); Lucas Tuin (3).
Welland Junior Canadians: Kevin Gould 2 (9,10); Gabriel Chiarot 2 (6,7).
Game stats: Shots on goal: By St. Catharines on Aiden Berry (27), by Welland on Ethan Labbe (40); Power plays: St. Catharines 0/1,Welland 0/2; Penalty minutes: St. Cathaines 4, Welland 2.
Attendance: 441
Up next: The Falcons visit Port Colborne Saturday for a 7:30 p.m. game versus the Thorold Blackhawks and Pelham Sunday at 2:45 p.m.
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