Weekend junior B roundup: Panthers on fire; Mets up and down
The Pelham Panthers won a pair of games over the weekend to extend their winning streak to a season-best four games. File photo: BILL POTRECZ
The Pelham Panthers shook up things at the trade deadline earlier this month and the moves have paid immediate dividends.
The Panthers won a pair of games over the weekend — 4-2 at home versus Caledon Sunday and 2-1 in overtime at Fort Erie Saturday — to extend their winning streak to a season-best four games.
Panthers head coach/assistant general manager Zac Rinaldo pointed to the new additions as a huge reason for the improved play.
“They really helped,” Rinaldo said. “They brought in a mature demeanour to our group and adding (forward) Zach Bell (from Stratford) into our leadership group as well added a maturity level to our game. After the deadline, we kind of identified this as our team and the whole demeanour really grew and matured overnight. They’re just really buying in and paying attention to the details.”
Rinaldo said the newcomers have fit like a glove, on and off the ice.
“I think that’s why I first got here and we identified culture,” Rinaldo said. “Culture is the main thing. So now when you do plug and play certain players, you bring certain players in because we have a foundation of strong culture, very down to earth, humble players and kids that really don’t judge other people by their way of life so they’re accepted with open arms once they come into our dressing room.”
In addition to Bell, who quickly named an assistant captain, forwards Jacob Uhm and Weslee Crosswell were added as well as defencemen Allan Watt and Luke Hill.
Uhm, 17, began the season with the Hamilton Kilty B’s and has a pair of assists in five games with the Panthers.
“He brings grit. He brings energy and a physical presence,” Rinaldo said. “Great kid from Hamilton.”
Watt is an 18-year-old Ajax native who was playing with Elliot Lake of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League.
“He is a right-handed defenceman, just a strong defensive defenceman who is very, very coachable and loves the game of hockey,” Rinaldo said.
Hill, 18, has a goal and an assist in three games since being added from the Espanola Paper Kings of the NOJHL.
“He’s a very skilled offensive defenceman with defensive responsibility as well,” Rinaldo said.
Crosswell, 17, has made an immediate offensive impact with three goals and five points in four games.
“He’s done really well for us,” Rinaldo said.
“All those guys, they bring such a different element. And now we have depth in our lineup. We actually have character pieces, we have roles, we have an identity to our lineup.”
The Panthers, 13-20-5-0-31, have opened up a five-point lead on the Brantford Titans for the eighth and final playoff spot with 12 games remaining in the regular season.
“We just want to continue to form good habits inside of our structure,” Rinaldo said. “We want to head into the playoffs hot. We want to head into the playoffs with confidence.
“We’re trying to build as much confidence and as much steam as possible. From my time playing, I was always told that you want to get hot right before the playoffs. You want to be all cylinders firing, so when we get into the playoffs we just plug and we play and we identify certain things we need to identify with our opponent and we have a bunch of confidence heading into the playoffs.”
Inconsistent weekend for Mets
The Fort Erie Meteors had an odd week, topping the Ayr Centennials 7-3 at Ayr before dropping a pair of one-goal games to Pelham and Caledonia.
Derek Smyth, Kyle Adamo, Tate Donald, Colton Radford, Jack Ryan, Lawson Sorokan and Sam Tonelli scored at Ayr.
John Lloyd made 26 saves for the win.
For Erie’s offence then went dry in the next two games.
Sean Short scored in overtime as the Panthers edged Fort Erie 2-1 Saturday night at the Leisureplex.
Caleb Macleish also scored for Pelham.
Tonelli had the lone Fort Erie marker.
Gabriel Long made 35 saves for the win.
Finn Moffett took the loss.
At Caledonia Sunday night, Matthew O’Sullivan broke a 1-1 tie with a goal at 15:50 of the third as the hometown Corvairs prevailed.
Easton Swift also scored for Caledonia while Hunter Coley replied for Fort Erie.
Lloyd made 34 saves for the Mets while Keegan Jackson kicked out 38 shots for the winners.
The Meteors, 23-10-3-0-49, trail Ayr by four points for second place and lead Port Colborne by two for third.
THIS WEEK
THURSDAY
Hamilton at Ayr, 7 p.m.
Port Colborne at Brantford, 7:30 p.m.
FRIDAY
Caledonia at St. Catharines, 7 p.m.
SATURDAY
Welland at Fort Erie, 7 p.m.
Pelham at Caledonia, 7:30 p.m.
SUNDAY
Cambridge at Pelham, 2:45 p.m.
St. Catharines at Port Colborne, 7 p.m.
Fort Erie at Welland, 7 p.m.
STANDINGS
EASTERN CONFERENCE
1. St. Catharines 29-8-0-1-59
2. Ayr 26-9-1-0-53
3. Fort Erie 23-10-3-0-49
4. Port Colborne 22-12-2-1-47
5. Caledonia 19-12-3-2-43
6. Cambridge 19-14-3-1-42
7. Hamilton 17-18-3-0-37
8. Pelham 13-20-5-0-31
9. Brantford 11-20-4-0-26
10. Welland 10-24-3-0-23
11. Caledon 2-33-1-0-5
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