17吃瓜网

The Fort Erie Meteors kept their hopes for first place alive doing what they do best.

The top-ranked defensive team in the Eastern Conference of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League turned in another gem to blank the St. Catharines Rankin Construction Falcons 2-0 before 775 fans in St. Catharines.

The Meteors are now tied with the Ayr Centennials for second place with 71 points, one back of the Falcons for first place with one game remaining in the regular season.

The Meteors still need to Saturday versus the Cambridge RedHawks in the final regular season game and have the Falcons lose in Caledonia Saturday to finish first. The Centennials visit Brantford Saturday afternoon.

Fort Erie coach/general manage Nik Passero was thrilled with his club鈥檚 effort.

鈥淚 love our group,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e missing some key names and everyone stepped up.

鈥淚t was a great group effort.鈥�

The best rivalry in the GOJHL did not disappoint as the both teams turned in an intense, entertaining effort worthy of the post season with many onlookers feeling it may be a preview of the league final.

鈥淚t鈥檚 the top rivalry in the GOJHL and I think it鈥檚 good for the league,鈥� Passero said. 鈥淚t’s good for the league that it鈥檚 come down to the last weekend and there鈥檚 seven games that mean something. I think that鈥檚 huge.鈥�

St. Catharines president of hockey operations and head coach Tyler Bielby agreed.

鈥淚 guess playoffs have already started,鈥� Bielby said.

Both teams were missing significant pieces.

The Falcons were without leading scorer Nathan Duplessis, Matt Fries, Brendan Grenville and Lachlan Suchar while Derek Smyth, Kyle Adamo, Dylan Coers and Ethan Pepperall were scratched for the Mets.

Following a scoreless first period that saw the Falcons throw their weight around to great effect, the Meteors adjusted and dominated the middle frame, outshooting the Falcons 17-6 while scoring the only goal when Sam Tonelli beat Hayden Jeffery on a wraparound with 1:02 to play.

It was Tonelli鈥檚 team-leading 31st goal.

鈥淗e鈥檚 the best player in the league,鈥� Passero said of Tonelli. 鈥淚 think everyday he comes to work and does his job.鈥�

Tonelli loved competing with so much on the line.

鈥淓very game we come here we know it鈥檚 going to be a battle, and especially when it鈥檚 for first place with two games left, it just means that much more,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 nice to get these guys, who we hate. It鈥檚 a great matchup and we love playing it.鈥�

The Falcons pulled out all the stops in the third period to tie the score, but came up empty versus John Lloyd, who made 24 saves for the shutout.听

Aiden Zimmerman iced the game away with an empty-net goal at 19:50.

Tonelli said it was a battle in the final 20 minutes to hold off the Falcons.

鈥淰ery hard. It just requires sacrifice and that’s it,鈥� he said. 鈥淏lock shots, working harder than you think you would have to. They鈥檙e a very good team and they鈥檙e skillful and we know that. We just have to work a little bit harder than them in the D zone.鈥�

Bielby did not seem phased by the loss.

鈥淚t鈥檚 really a 1-0 hockey game,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e got to find ways. I think we鈥檙e leading the conference in goals, if not just a couple back.

鈥淭hey clogged up the middle; Lloyd played well tonight. He did his job in net. He didn鈥檛 give up a weak goal and that鈥檚 difference in a 1-0 game.鈥�

The Falcons still control their own destiny but Bielby said he is not concerned about the standings.

鈥淲e don鈥檛 even worry about any of that who we鈥檒l play anybody in the playoffs. We don鈥檛 need to be talking about the seedings. We need to be playing the right way because in playoffs seedings don’t matter.鈥�

Passero said while his team will need help to finish first, all they can do is control their own effort.

鈥淚t鈥檚 one game at a time, like it鈥檚 been all year, and we鈥檙e going in tomorrow, like it鈥檚 any other night. We鈥檙e just going in there to win a game.鈥�

Falcon facts: Lachlan Sucher, Brendan Grenville, Matt Fries and Nathan Duplessis were scratched for the Falcons . . .听 Derek Smyth, Kyle Adamo, Dylan Coers and Ethan Pepperall did not dress for the Meteors . . . The Meteors won four of the five meetings between the teams this season.

STATS PACK

Meteors 2 Falcons 0

Fort Erie goalie John Lloyd with the shutout.

St. Catharines Falcons: No scoring.

Fort Erie Meteors: Sam Tonelli (31); Aiden Zimmerman (14).

Game stats:听Shots on goal: By St. Catharines on John Lloyd (24), by Fort Erie on Hayden Jeffery (30); Power plays: St. Catharines 0/2, Fort Erie 0/2; Penalty minutes: St. Catharines 18, Fort Erie 8.

Attendance:听775.

Up next: The Falcons head to Caledonia Saturday at 7:30 p.m. while the Mets are at Cambridge to conclude the regular season.

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