Falcons pound Panthers
St. Catharines Falcons head coach/general manager Tyler Bielby worked overtime this week to bring in a pair of new players and the newcomers quickly paid dividends.
Brenden Anderson and Tyler Hunt, a pair of 20-year-old forwards, made their debut Friday and immediately went to work leading the Falcons to a 10-3 victory over the Pelham Panthers in Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League action at the Seymour-Hannah Sports Complex.
Anderson had a goal and three assists while Hunt collected a goal and two assists playing the wings on a line centred by captain Caleb Thompson who had three goals and an assist.
Bielby was naturally thrilled with the outcome and how the newcomers performed.
“It’s great. It’s not easy when you’re negotiating trying to get these guys in,” Bielby said. “You just don’t know anytime you mess with chemistry, especially when you’re 7-1-1, but we’re pretty happy.”
Bielby said the newcomers have already fit in with their new teammates.
“I think the biggest takeaway is how they have entered the room,” Bielby said. “Their egos are checked at the door and both of them eat their humble pie. They want to be here to win and they want to get better. They both have post-junior aspirations for hockey and you can tell early on that’s the case.”
Anderson, a 6-foot-6 native of Ohsweken, has Ontario Hockey League experience with the Sarnia Sting and Hamilton Bulldogs and was an 11th-round (215th overall) selection by the Kitchener Rangers in 2019 OHL Priority Draft.
“I thought we had a good group here and wanted to be part of it,” said Andersen, who started the season in the Ontario Junior Hockey League. “There were some (other options) out there but I looked toward this one. They were doing pretty good and have a good group and coaching staff.
“I thought it was the best option for me.”
Anderson would love nothing more than to finish his junior career with a championship.
“I want to win so bad, it’s my mindset to keep going and push the younger guys and give them somebody to look up to.”
Anderson is looking forward to playing a prominent role.
“It feels unbelievable to be treated like that and play with two good players like that. It’s a pretty good honour and I’d like to keep going with them and hopefully do that every night.”
Hunt, who hails from Oakville, played three games for the Thorold Blackhawks in 2019/20 before moving on to the Cobourg Cougars of the OJHL.
He was thrilled with his first game in red and white.
“It was awesome. It was what I wanted to see coming in,” Hunt said.
Hunt feels the Falcons are a perfect fit.
“This is the exact market I want to be playing in. The culture is exactly how a locker room should be and behave and it comes with the results on the outside,” he said. “There were definitely some other options but this one lined up best for me and I’m happy with my decision.”
The Falcons improved to 8-1-0-1 and moved into a tie with the Caledonia Corvairs for first place with 17 points over the idle Fort Erie Meteors. The Corvairs topped the Port Colborne Sailors 6-3 Friday in Port.
Sami Douglas, Brayden Russell, Nathan Duplessis, Zack Lewis, Jayden Lammel and Markus Dempewolf scored for Caledonia.
Sam Tonelli, Mitchell Yates and Aiden Cupelli replied for the Sailors.
Falcon facts: Trent Vaillancourt, Owen Simpson, Zac Mizzi, William Moore, Luca McLaren and Owen King did not dress for the Falcons . . . The Panthers replaced starting goaltender Logan Slou with Danny Doyle in the second period after he permitted five goals on 12 shots.
STATS PACK
St. Catharines forward Caleb Thompson with the hat trick.
Falcons 10 Panthers 3
St. Catharines Falcons: Caleb Thompson 3 (9,10,11); Mitch Dmytrow (3); Matthew Hlacar (2); Dallys Hibbert (2); Brenden Anderson (1); Tyler Hunt (1); Henry Attard (1); Michael Colavecchia (1).
Pelham Panthers: Ryan Shier (3); Joshua Cacciola (1); Liam McFarland (1).
Game stats: Shots on goal: By St. Catharines on Logan Slou/Danny Doyle (46), by Pelham on Hayden Jeffery (35); Power plays: St. Catharines 4/9, Pelham 2/3; Penalty minutes: St. Catharines Pelham.
Attendance: 447.
Up next: The Falcons are at Hamilton Thursday and home to Fort Erie next Friday.
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