TRYOUT CAMPS

The Falcons will be
holding tryout camps
May 19th and June 2nd
from 8:30 am to 5pm
inside the
Seymour-Hannah
Sports Complex.

Goaltender Session 8:30 to 9:45 am 

Please visit the
Tryout Page
to register.

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The wait is over - Falcons win championship

ST. CATHARINES - Always a bridesmaid, but never a bride.

Until now.

The St. Catharines Falcons incredibly, dramatically, and finally, are Sutherland Cup champions.

Friday night before a season-high crowd of 1,851 fans at Jack Gatecliff Arena, the Falcons finished writing the final chapter of their incredible season.

At exactly 9:21 p.m., St. Catharines finished off the Brantford Golden Eagles 5-1 to capture the best-of-series 4-2, winning four straight games after dropping the first two.

The title is just the first for the Falcons in their 44-year history after coming up empty in five previous trips to the finals and just the fourth in the modern era for the Golden Horseshoe following two for Niagara Falls in 1996 and 1998 and one for the Thorold Blackhawks in 2005.

As the final seconds counted down, the Falcons began jumping up and down on the bench before pouring over the boards to mob goaltender Brad Pope.

After shaking hands with the Golden Eagles, Falcons captain Kenny Bradford then proudly received the Sutherland Cup and did a quick victory lap before handing off the hardware.

“Amazing,” said Bradford, who missed much of the playoffs with a shoulder injury before returning to full-time duty in Game 5. “We made history in St. Catharines tonight.

“We knew we could do it all the way. I’m going to remember everyone in this building tonight.”

The championship was especially meaningful for the eight graduating veterans — Brad Pope, Nick Hovanessian, Matt Melo, Riley Jakobschuk, Bradford, Curtis Longland, Johnson Andrews and Ben Dubois — who all went out winners.

“This is phenomenal. I don’t think it’s sunk in yet,” Andrews said. “Those last minutes ticking down and you’re on the ice realizing you get to go out with a win. Not many people get to do that.”

Andrews, too, was well aware of the historic nature of the win.

“It’s a great accomplishment,” Andrews added. “My dad (John) played here and he didn’t get the opportunity to win so I guess I have one up on him.”

Pope, who rebounded tremendously after a shaky first couple of games, sought out head coach/general manager Frank Girhiny amid the chaos to deliver a heart-felt message.

“Thanks for believing in me,” Pope said as he embraced Girhiny.

Pope also won an Ontario title at the junior C level last year with the Grimsby Peach Kings.

“It’s unbelievable. It feels to good I don’t even know what to say,” Pope added.

As a St. Catharines native and veteran, Jakobschuk also appreciated the victory.

“It feels great,” Jakobschuk said after posing for pictures with family and friends. “It took me six years to get here with including my first year that I got called up. We made it here but we couldn’t finish it off, but we finally got it done.

“Nothing is better than going out on top in your last game of junior.”

Girhiny also took time out to reflect on the accomplishment.

“It’s so gratifying,” Girhiny said. “The kids right from our first meeting in May, we had a plan and we followed through with the plan. I think I stayed with what I said I was going to do and my beliefs and they bought in.”

Girhiny admitted it’s special to be the head coach of the team that finally broke the jinx.

“I’m honoured,” Girhiny said. “Such a great history and tradition. This is what it’s all about. The whole coaching staff is just so proud to be part of it.

“I’m humbled.”

The Falcons left nothing to chance, storming out of the gate to a 2-0 lead with goals from Andy Sturtz and Luke Karaim less than three minutes into the game. The Golden Eagles were so stunned, head coach Mike Bullard called for a time-out after the second goal.

Dubois gave the Falcons a 3-0 lead less than five minutes into the second when he slid a shot through the legs of Brantford goaltender Bryce O’Hagan.

The Golden Eagles finally got one by Pope early in the third when Matt Prinsen’s shot from the point made it through.

The Golden Eagles pulled out all the stops at that point and had the Falcons on the ropes until Andrews tipped in a shot from Jakubschuk with just over five minutes to play. Kyle Woodhouse then fired one into an empty net to ice it away.

Falcon facts: Tyler Jackson, Matt Moes and Dan MacEachern did not dress for the Falcons . . . Eric Jackson, Nathan Ferris and Nick Szabo were scratched for the Golden Eagles . . . St. Catharines goaltender coach Mark Packwood followed the game live on computer while on a European vacation . . . Rumours have the Brantford franchise relocating to Caledonia next season.

bill.potrecz@sunmedia.ca

ST. CATHARINES FALCONS AWARDS BANQUET "TOONIE" DRAW

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