Meteors get the job done
The Fort Erie Meteors inched closer toward clinching second place while also keeping their hopes for first place alive with a convincing 5-2 triumph over the Caledonia Corvairs in Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League action Tuesday night in Fort Erie.
“It’s up to us,” Fort Erie general manager/coach Nik Passero said outside a raucous dressing room following one of the Meteors’ most complete efforts of the season.
The Meteors, 36-11-1, trail the Corvairs by three points for first place with two games remaining in the regular season and would need to win at St. Catharines Friday and at home versus Hamilton Saturday with the Corvairs losing both their games versus Welland this weekend to finish first. More likely is a second-place finish which requires a win in either of their remaining games to get the job done.
The Meteors have defeated the Corvairs in their last two meetings and finished the season series 3-4 versus Caledonia. They have taken five of their six meetings versus the Falcons which bodes well for the post-season.
“I think we’re a playoff-built team,” Passero said. “We have guys who have played in the playoffs, guys who have won in the playoffs and we have two of the best goalies in the league. What better ingredients do you need to win?”
Veteran Fort Erie forward Kyle Adamo, who gave the Mets an early lead with his 24th of the season, says the Mets are confident on the eve of the playoffs.
“We’ve beat every team in the league,” Adamo said. “I think we’re the best team in the league, I think everyone knows it.”
The Meteors led 1-0 after one period and 3-2 after two. Liam Beamish netted an insurance goal at 8:10 of the third before Chaka-Benjamin Ntumba-Muntu scored into an empty net to seal the deal.
The Meteors managed to keep the conference’s top offence under control in the third period
“We just have a game plan. We have a game plan for every team and we execute it,” Adamo said. “We have some guys who have been around the league. Our leadership is really good.”
Passero loved his team’s overall effort.
“Two games in a row against them we defended hard,” Passero said. “They scored a short-handed goal and a goal from behind the net. Give it to our guys, they’re blocking shots and playing hard and playing within themselves. They wanted to win and went out and got it.
“Every game we’ve played against them we’ve chased them, even games we beat them we had to chase them from behind so it was nice to get out to an early lead.”
Metscellaneous: Nolan Stickland did not dress for the Meteors.
STATS PACK
Meteors 5 Corvairs 2
Fort Erie forward Kyle Adamo with his 24th goal of the season.
Fort Erie Meteors: Adamo (24); Liam Beamish (26); Blake Hall (15); Dominic DiFrancesco (6); Chaka-Benjamin Ntumba-Muntu (6).
Caledonia Corvairs: Jayden Lammel (23); Ethan Girard (3).
Game stat: Shots on goal: By Fort Erie on Keegan Jackson (33), by Caledonia on Charlie Burns (27); Power plays: Fort Erie 1/2, Caledonia 0/4; Penalty minutes: Fort Erie 32, Caledonia 46.
Attendance: 410.
Up next: The Meteors wrap up the regular season Friday in St. Catharines followed by a home game Saturday at 4:30 p.m. versus Hamilton.
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