The Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League (GOJHL) Eastern Conference Final will feature a pair of Niagara based teams.
Wednesday night the Fort Erie Meteors swept the Caledonia Corvairs in four straight games, and Thursday evening the St. Catharines Falcons brought their brooms out in Brantford taking the Titans in four straight as well.
Both St. Catharines and Fort Erie finished the 50-game regular season tied for first with Ayr – all with 72 points – but the Falcons finished first via the most wins with 35, while the Meteors were third with 33 victories.
St. Catharines stopped Hamilton in five games before besting Brantford, while Fort Erie got by Cambridge in six games before knocking off Caledonia.
“We know the competition takes a step up in the next round,” said Falcons head coach Tyler Bielby.
“Fort Erie is a good team who plays very hard in their own zone. Good discipline and the will to compete will be the difference in the series.
I expect both teams to leave it all on the ice. We feel good as a team and will be ready to go when the puck drops.”
The Meteors were (4-1) against the Falcons during the regular season, but Fort Erie head coach and general manager Nik Passero knows the playoffs are a different best.
“We are excited to get going. Both teams have lots of respect for each other, and it should be a great atmosphere in both buildings,” Passero said.
“I’d have to think this is what the GOJHL wanted when they changed the playoff format. We will be ready to go. It will be a great few weeks of hockey.”:
Four teams are still battling it out in the Western Conference as the St. Mary’s Lincolns lead the London Nationals three games to one, while the Chatham Maroons are up three games to two on the Stratford Warriors.
The Eastern Conference Final best of seven series will likely begin next Friday in St. Catharines.
The winners of both conference finals will play in a best of seven series for the Sutherland Cup.
Meanwhile, the Grimsby Peach Kings are playing in the Provincial Junior Hockey League (PJHL) South Conference Final and are tied with the New Hamburg Firebirds 2-2 in the best of seven set.
The Peach Kings have already swept Dunnville, eliminated Niagara in six games, then swept Dundas in four straight games.
Rod Mawhood is a lifelong Niagara native who has had the pleasure of working in all three mediums – Radio, Print and TV – for over 20 years. His first announcing gig was with the then St. Catharines Stompers. Since then he’s worked in radio and TV in Toronto, and currently is the announcer for the Niagara IceDogs and Niagara River Lions.
Rod also covers the Buffalo Bills for FOX Sports and the Buffalo Sabres for NBC Sports.
