Meteors rally past Falcons
The Fort Erie Meteors took the latest chapter in what has emerged as one of the fiercest rivalries in the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League.
The Meteors rallied from a 2-0 deficit to defeat the St. Catharines Rankin Constriction Falcons 5-2 Saturday night at the Leisureplex to take a 3-1 lead in the season series with one game remaining.
After the game, Meteors general manager Nik Passero left no doubt how important the victory was over the Falcons.
“I think just being in these big games a lot — we played them a lot of times last year — and, you know, they hate us and we hate them,” Passero said. “And to me, in 2025, it’s the best rivalry in the GOJHL.”
Falcons president of hockey operations and head coach Tyler Bielby was diplomatic when informed of Passero’s thoughts.
“They can hate on us all we want. We will continue to focus on us as we finish off this regular season and prepare for the playoffs,” Bielby said. “Nothing is won in February. We need to get better through 60 minutes and will focus on ourselves as we are only worried about the group inside our walls.”
The win keeps Fort Erie’s hopes of finishing first alive. The Falcons lead the Eastern Conference with 70 points, seven up on the third-place Meteors, who have three games in hand. The Ayr Centennials are sandwiched between the teams with 67 points and own two games in hand on the Falcons.
“It’s definitely something we look at,” Passero said of finishing first. “Anyone that says it’s not important is lying. First place after a 50-game season is a great accomplishment and I think this club deserves it.
“We’ve dropped some games here in the last month I think we wish we’d had, but we can only look forward. We’ve got a week ahead of us and first place is right there for us.”
The Falcons jumped out to a 2-0 lead after one period before the Meteors tied the game with a pair of goals in the second period by Dylan Coers.
“I don’t think we deserved to be down 2-0,” Passero said. “I think the first goal was off a bad break and then a power-play goal. I thought we were pretty good in the first period. I think we battled pretty well.”
Bielby loved what he saw from his charges in the opening 20 minutes.
“I thought we had some good puck confidence. We played real well defensively. We didn’t give up much, we didn’t give up the odd man rushes. We thought we were real calm,” he said. “I didn’t even mind our second period. They scored two goals in the period, but I thought we were playing good hockey.
“It just got away from us in the third. We gave up some chances. We had nine or 10 guys on the bench. It’s tough to win a hockey game against one of the best teams in the league that way.”
The Falcons were once again without their three top centres, Cam Lowe, Brendan Grenville and Matt Fries, and then lost leading scorer Nathan Duplessis to a game misconduct for unsportsmanlike conduct at 16:23 of the second.
Bielby was cryptic when asked for the difference with his club after the first period.
“It’s interesting that you’re asking that question. Everyone knows the answer to that,” he said.
Jack Ryan, picked up from Welland at the trade deadline, scored the winner five minutes into the third when he sniped a shot past Hayden Jeffery.
“Danny (Amado) did a great job getting me the puck. I stopped up — I’ve been going short side a lot of the game — so I decided to mix it up. I went through the defender’s stick and to the far side,” Ryan said. “I didn’t really know I went in. I just saw the mesh move.”
The Mets then salted the game away with two more goals from Aiden Zimmerman and Owen Cressman.
Metscellaneous: Chris Reid and Tyson Zimmerman was scratched for the Meteors . . . Cameron Lowe, Brendon Grenville and Matt Fries were scratched for the Falcons . . . The Meteors visit the Falcons Friday, Feb. 28.
STATS PACK
Meteors 5 Falcons 2
Meteors defenceman Dylan Coers with two goals.
Fort Erie Meteors: Dylan Coers 2 (5,6); Jack Ryan (30); Aiden Zimmerman (12); Owen Cressman (3).
St. Catharines Falcons: Marcus Harris (15); Trent Vaillancourt (5).
Game stats: Shots on goal: By Fort Erie on Hayden Jeffery (31), by St. Catherines on John Lloyd (28); Power plays: Fort Erie 0/3, St. Catherines 1/4; Penalty minutes: Fort Erie 12, St. Catherines 10.
Attendance: 491.
Up next: The Meteors head to Welland Tuesday at 8 p.m. and Hamilton Thursday. The Falcons are home to Hamilton Friday.
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