Falcons hold off Panthers in opener
Caleb Thompson took a licking but kept on ticking for the St. Catharines Rankin Construction Falcons Friday night.
The St. Catharines captain was a target of the Pelham Panthers all game but ended up with the last laugh, firing the winner as the Falcons edged the Panthers 5-3 on home ice in Game 1 of the best-of-seven Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League quarter-final playoff series.
Thompson’s goal came on the power play early in the third period, minutes after he was assessed a cross-checking penalty while the Falcons were already down a man which permitted the Panthers to tie the score at 3-3.
“They’re definitely finishing everything and we knew it was coming,” Thompson said. “We think we have the better team over here so now it’s just going out and playing through that.
“I don’t need to be slashing guys or anything like that so I just have to keep my cool. I know they’re going to throw everything at me.”
The Falcons were assessed eight minor penalties, the Panthers six minors.
“To get back up after that five-on-three was a great feeling, especially in front of the home crowd,” said Thompson, who credited trainer Carlo Cardelli for giving him a little magic on his stick before netting the winner.
Falcons general manager coach Tyler Bielby was thrilled to see Thompson redeem himself.
“He’s the captain and he took a tough penalty but he’s our captain for a reason because when you put him back on the ice for the next shift he went and got it back,” Bielby said.
Bielby figures the Falcons had better get used to chippy hockey now that it is the post season.
“It’s extremely difficult and something we’ve been challenged with the entire year,” he said. “Teams come into this arena Friday nights ready to play and finish their checks. We have to control our emotions and understand if they’re coming after you, trying to get under your skin, it’s because you’re doing the right things on the ice so just keep doing the right things and play whistle to whistle.”
The Falcons took a 2-0 lead, outshooting the Panthers 21-5 in the opening period, before the Pelham settled down and scored twice in the second and once early in the third.
“A win is a win in the playoffs,” Bielby said. “It’s a puck on the wall, take that every chance. It was a great game tonight. It’s a reminder to our team we have to be ready every night to beat these guys.
“Zac (Pelham coach Zac Rinaldo) has his squad playing real hard, playing with a lot of pride. They’re hockey players over there and they’re going to give you their best effort every night and we have to make sure we’re ready to go.”
The Falcons received a huge boost from the fourth line of Owen Simpson, associated player Jack Salvatore and defenceman Jordan Marconi, who scored his first goal of the season while playing the wing.
“For me, tonight our win is this pulse of Jake Salvatore, Owen Simpson and Jordan Marconi. Those three deserve credit because I thought they were the difference tonight,” Bielby said. “When you’re willing to put an AP on the ice at the end of the game to close out a game and take a face off, it’s a pretty good feeling.”
Rinaldo had no issues with his club’s effort.
“Really proud,” Rinaldo said. “I thought the second and third period was our type of hockey, our brand of hockey. We have a lot of young, inexperienced guys who haven’t been in playoffs at the junior level and the first period showed that. We got the first-period jitters out of the way and got back to our brand of hockey in the second and third.”
Rinaldo is hopeful the effort will boost the confidence of his squad.
“It’s really up to them and I hope they can understand St. Catharines is a top team in Ontario and we’re hanging with them and have for the most part this season. I hope the can buy into that, I want them to buy into that and that’s my job as a coach to instil that courage and courage inside of them.”
Falcon facts: Grayson Gare, Tyler Hunt (suspended, 2 of 2), Calvin Petrovsky, William Moore and Marcus Harris (suspended, 2 of 2) were scratched for the Falcons . . . Owen Messina, Caleb MacLeish, Liam McFarland, Jordan Adams and Patrick Sutherland did not dress for the Panthers . . . The Falcons had a record turnout and profit from their annual Booster Bash last week . . . The game was delayed for about 30 minutes late in the second period when a pain of glass was shattered by a big hit.
STATS PACK
Falcons 5 Panthers 3
Falcons Jordan Marconi with his first goal of the season.
St. Catharines Falcons: Mathew Hlacar (1); Henry Attard (1); Jordan Marconi (1); Caleb Thompson (1); Nathan Kelly (1).
Pelham Panthers: Liam Wicks (1); Ty Boone (1); Cooper Drennan (1).
Game stats: Shots on goal: By St. Catharines on Aiden Thompson (45), by Pelham on Hayden Jeffery (25); Power plays: St. Catharines 1/4, Pelham 2/6; Penalty minutes: St. Catharines 16; Pelham 12.
Attendance: 536.
Up next: The Falcons are in Pelham Sunday at 2:45 pm for Game 2.
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