Falcons take down Titans (updated)

Easton Poirier has fit in like a glove with the St. Catharines Rankin Construction Falcons.

The 16-year-old forward joined the Falcons for the playoffs and has been one of their most consistent performers.

Poirier collected his fourth goal of the post-season as the Falcons defeated the Brantford Titans 5-1 Monday night in St. Catharines to take a commanding 3-0 lead in their Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League, best-of-seven semifinal playoff series.

The Falcons can complete the sweep and advance to the Eastern Conference finals with a win in Brantford Thursday. Game 5, if necessary, is Friday in St. Catharines.

“It feels unbelievable to help the boys out and hopefully we can go very far in this journey,” Poirier said. 

Poirier had a solid season with the Niagara North Stars U18 squad where he collected 22 goals and 34 points in 28 regular season games. He managed an assist in five games with the Falcons as a call-up during the year and has now adapted to the junior game.

“I think the main thing is the speed (of junior),” he said. “The physicality is also a big jump, but yeah, I think I fit in pretty good now that I’m used to the speed.

“To be honest, at the start I thought it was a lot harder because I wasn’t really used to it but now that I’m playing with them a lot, I think it’s easier.”

Falcons present of hockey operations/head coach Tyler Bielby is a big fan of Poirier.

“He could have be here all year,” Bielby said. “We can only carry two 16-year-olds and he’s in good hands with Brody (head coach Brody Kritsch), with Niagara North. I was talking with Brody last night and Brody reminded me he’s a gamer.”

Bielby appreciates Poirier’s willingness to go to the dirty areas.

“He’s good around the net and he has that sixth sense that he knows where the puck’s going to end up,” Bielby said. “He took a hit to make a play today, then went to the net and found a loose puck and buried. All his goals (were because) he ran the blue paint, and that’s because he goes to areas where good things happen in the playoffs.”

Poirier was drafted in the 13th round of the Ontario Hockey League draft by Brantford in 2024.

“Hopefully my main goal is to make Brantford next year but if not then I might play here next year. My main focus is Brantford for next year,” he said.

In addition to his prowess around the net, Poirier isn’t afraid to mix it up, a trait he no doubt picked up from his father, Steve Poirier, a former Falcon who played five seasons for the club from 1992-93 through 1996-97 and is the team’s all-time leader in penalty minutes with a whopping 924.

“I’ve seen that picture actually of him in the newspaper,” Easton Poirier said of an article written on his father in the St. Catharines Standard when he set the record for penalty minutes. “He’s been coaching me my whole life and I’m very thankful for him. He teaches me a lot.”

The Falcons led 1-0 after one and 3-0 after two. The Titans broke Hayden’s Jeffery’s bid for a shutout at the 8:45 mark of the third and were pressing before the Falcons responded with a pair of late goals.

“Credit to Brantford,” Bielby said. “They’re a good hockey team that’s playing extremely hard. They’ve got some weapons and every time they’re on the ice you have to be aware. I thought we made a couple adjustments today that slowed them down in the neutral zone a bit. That was a big difference for us.”

Bielby would love nothing more than to complete the sweep Thursday, but realizes the Titans will be a desperate team playing for their lives. 

“You don’t build a 3-0 lead to not take advantage of it but at the same time there are 20-year-olds over there — Ethan Szabo is a hell of a hockey player — I know he doesn’t want to go home so we’re going have to be ready.”

Falcon facts: Luke Gualtieri, Lachlan Sucher, Jordan Marconi, Luca Santostefano, Treyson Dewar and Marcus Harris did not dress for the Falcons . . . Simon Otaki and Tyler Oletic were scratched for the Titans.

STATS PACK

Falcons 5 Titans 1

St. Catharines rookie forward Easton Poirier with a goal and an assist.

St. Catharines Falcons: Easton Poirier (4); Ally Mostafaie (4); Cam Lowe (3); Lucas Tuin (2); Samuel Mudie (2).

Brantford Titans: Quinton Kim-Lemay (2).

Game stats: Shots on goal: By St. Catharines on Carter Vincent (28), by Brantford on Hayden Jeffery (29); Power plays: St. Catharines 1/2, Brantford 1/6; Penalty minutes: St. Catharines 16, Brantford 8.

Attendance: 619

Up next: Game 4 Thursday in Brantford. 

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