RedHawks climb back in series

The Fort Erie Meteors let the visiting Cambridge RedHawks back in their Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League playoff series with an uninspiring performance Saturday night at the Fort Erie Leisureplex.

Cambridge won the game 4-1 to cut the Meteors’ lead in the best-of-seven series to two games to one.

Fort Erie general manager/head coach Nik Passero described his team’s effort as lacklustre and stale.

“I thought right from the jump we were kind of flat-footed and stuck in the sand a little bit. It was not our best effort.”

He had no reason for his team’s poor outing.

“No excuses. We have no excuses and we just weren’t good enough. Our line-up just didn’t get the job done.”

Despite the performance, Cambridge goalie Lennart Neisse was excellent, stopping almost everything he saw or didn’t see through traffic.

“We got goalied a little bit and even that, other than our Grade A chances, we did not produce enough offence and make it tough enough for him. He’s good, he’s great but we have to make it harder for him and we didn’t tonight.”

The Meteors, who scored their lone goal on a five-on-three power play, had trouble making crisp passes.

“We were a step behind, that’s for sure and it is what it is,” Passero said. “It’s a long playoffs and we’ve got to get back on the horse and go ahead.”

That was pretty much his message to his team when the game ended.

“That wasn’t good enough. I don’t think I had to tell them that but they also have to find it within to push from the bottom.”

The RedHawks scored the game-winning goal in the second period on a power play following a too many men call against the Meteors. In the third, a brutal giveaway led to the RedHawks’ third goal.

Missing from Fort Erie’s lineup Saturday was leading scorer and conference all-star Sam Tonelli.

“He’s sick and not feeling great so we kept him out. I don’t want him to get the team sick,” Passero said.

It was an act of caution that every hockey coach makes during the season and especially in the playoffs.

“One guy gets sick and the whole team gets sick and then you are really struggling.”

The Meteors will take Sunday off and then get back to work.

“We have to move on. We have to wash it away. We weren’t going to go 16-0 to win this thing,” Passero said. “The first round is hard for a reason. The league did the change they made so the playoffs were more exciting and this is what you are going to get.”

Passero will take it and hope his team learns from its mistakes.

“Adversity is fine. It is how we battle and come back from it. We will be fine.”

STATS PACK

RedHawks 4 Meteors 1

Cambridge’s Seth Huygen with a hat trick.

Fort Erie Meteors: Hunter Coley (2).

Cambridge RedHawks: Seth Huygen (2, 3, 4), Kyler Morgan (1).

Game stats: Shots one goal: By Fort Erie on Lennart Neisse (29), by Cambridge on John Lloyd (35). Power plays: Fort Erie 1/5, Cambridge 1/3. Penalty minutes: Fort Erie 8, Cambridge 12.

Up next: Game 4 of the series is Tuesday in Cambridge followed by Game 5 Thursday at 7 p.m. in Fort Erie.

Attendance: 1,200.