Sailors add reinforcements; Weekend roundup: Mets win twice, Falcons bounce back
Jordan Harrison, left, and Aydan Doyle are the two newest members of the Port Colborne Sailors. Photo: BILL POTRECZ
The Port Colborne Sailors have brought in a pair of reinforcements to help stabilize their lineup.
With top forwards Nathan Kelly and Brendan Grenville out for extended periods and defenceman Jonathan Graves likely needing shoulder surgery, general manager/coach Scott Barnes has added defenceman Aydan Doyle and forward Jordan Harrison.
“We’ve been looking to upgrade our defence,” Barnes said. “At times we’ve had to use (Ethan) Bolibruck on defence.”
Doyle, an 18-year-old Barrie native, began the season with the Caledonia Corvairs where he picked up an assist in 11 games.
“We got him because we’ve played against him for a bit and we think he can bring a bit of everything,” Barnes said. “He has that feistiness, physical game we’ve all seen but we think he has more skill and ability. He definitely can make a good first pass and move pucks. I think he’s going to get more of an opportunity to play an expanded role here.”
The Sailors mark the fifth Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League stop for Doyle, who has also suited up for the Corvairs, Hamilton, Caledon and Welland.
“It (moving around) can get difficult but I think I’m in a good spot and excited to get started with Port Colborne,” Doyle said. “I just wasn’t getting the opportunity I thought I was going to get (in Caledonia).”
Doyle feels he is a well-rounded player.
“I definitely bring physicality and a good first pass and getting the puck up fast and getting into the offensive zone,” he said.
Harrison, an 18-year-old Mississauga native, began the season with the Mississauga Chargers of the Ontario Junior Hockey League but was a healthy scratch in each game.
“I was looking for somewhere with a bit more of an opportunity and a bit more of a winning culture,” Harrison said. “I came down for practice and watched a game and knew I wanted to be part of it.”
Harrison is thrilled to get back into action.
“It’s awesome,” he said. “I’m really excited. I think my game fits in with them and I’m excited to be playing again.”
Harrison did what he could to stay in shape before the trade.
“I was trying my best. I was in the gym and would run. The first practice here was a bit of an adjustment but I got back into it pretty quickly.”
Harrison is listed at 6-foot-2, 187 pounds.
“He brings a little bit of size to our lineup, an element I think our team was lacking. We are on the smaller, skilled size. Looking to upgrade and get a little bigger and grittier,” Barnes said.
Harrison described himself as a power forward.
“I’m going to go in hard on the forecheck and get the puck and set guys up and I also take pride in my defensive game. I play a 200-foot game,” he said.
Doyle and Harrison each picked up an assist this weekend as the Sailors dropped a pair of games to the Fort Erie Meteors, losing 3-1 at home Friday and 4-2 at Fort Erie Saturday.
P.J. Alexander scored for Port in the loss at home.
Liam Beamish had two and Cameron Golovin one for the Mets.
Grayson Gare netted both goals in the loss at Fort Erie.
R.J. Schmidt, Kyle Adamo, Blake Hall and Hunter Coley replied for Fort Erie.
“Playing a home and home every once in a while is a great way to build a rivalry in junior hockey and I think that’s exactly what happened this weekend,” Meteors general/manager coach Nik Passero said. “Both nights we didn’t exactly have a great start but we outlasted them and had great third periods in both games. Not a recipe for success all the time but we will take the four points.
“Thought our top line had a great weekend and we obviously defended well again with only one five-on-five goals in120 minutes.”
Falcons 4 Corvairs 3 SO
The St. Catharines Falcons rebounded from a frustrating loss Friday at home to the Corvairs with a shootout win at Caledonia Saturday.
“A great response and character win on the road,” Falcons general manager/coach Tyler Bielby said. “A special shout out to our blueline this weekend who played through a lot of adversity and found a way to get the job done tonight. We had two forwards playing D and two 08’s in the lineup. The team rallied around the adversity and found a way to get the win.”
The Falcons built a 3-1 lead into the third on goals from Dallys Hibbert, Tyler Hunt and Noah Read before the Corvairs tied the game on goals from Zack Lewis and Nathan Duplessis. Markus Dempewolf scored earlier for Caledonia.
Newcomer Brenden Anderson netted the lone goal of the shootout to earn St. Catharines the extra point.
“A big congrats to Ando with the winning goal in the shootout. Born and raised in Six Nations, Caledonia is where he calls home. Nice to see him end the game for the red and white,” Bielby said.
Cal Gardner made 41 saves in net for the win.
SUNDAY
Panthers 3 Kilty B’s 2 OT
Connor Clark scored 2:42 into extra time to give the Pelham Panthers an overtime win at home Sunday afternoon.
Caleb MacLeish and Jordan Adams also scored for the Panthers.
Joshua Avery and Anthony Giacalone replied for the Kilty B’s.
Carter Vincente made 33 saves in goal for Pelham.
Corvairs 3 Junior Canadians 2 OT
The Corvairs rallied from a 2-0 deficit in third period to pull out an overtime win in Welland Sunday night.
Kai Skilbeck and Nico Kalpakis gave Welland a 2-0 lead by the halfway point before Nathan Duplessis and Dylan Wardell tied things up for Caledonia.
Duplessis then won it less than a minute into OT.
Ethan Labbe was the hard-luck losing goaltender, kicking out 44 saves.
THIS WEEK
THURSDAY
Port Colborne at Hamilton, 7 p.m.
FRIDAY
Hamilton at St. Catharines, 7 p.m.
Port Colborne at Pelham, 7:45 p.m.
SATURDAY
Welland at Fort Erie, 7 p.m.
St. Catharines at Port Colborne, 7:30 p.m.
Pelham at Caledonia, 7:30 p.m.
SUNDAY
Fort Erie at Pelham, 2:45 p.m.
Caledonia at Welland, 7 p.m.
STANDINGS
1. Caledonia 12-2-0-2-26
2. Fort Erie 12-4-0-0-24
3. St. Catharines 11-3-0-1-23
4. Port Colborne 7-6-2-0-16
5. Hamilton 6-8-2-0-0-14
6. Pelham 6-9-0-0-12
7. Welland 2-12-2-0-6
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