Falcons fly past Maroons in Game 1

The St. Catharines ended what they hoped was their last game at Jack Gatecliff Arena with a convincing win over the Chatham Maroons to open a best-of-three Sutherland Cup final.

If momentum from the 6-2 victory carries over into Game 2 on Sunday night in Chatham, and produces a similar outcome, they will return to The Jack to clean out their lockers – as the Ontario junior-B hockey champions.

However, should the Maroons rebound on their home ice keeping alive a dream of ending a 23-year title drought, a deciding game will be played Tuesday back in St. Catharines. A must-win game for both teams. For all the marbles

Talk about a Hollywood ending for an arena that is closing after 84 years.

While the Falcons have dedicated their deepest playoff run in years to the only home they’ve known the franchise was founded in 1968, they hope the drama on the ice ends with a victory in Game 2 on the road.

Head coach Tyler Bielby was asked if he hoped Friday night’s game was his last behind the bench at Jack Gatecliff Arena.

“Absolutely. As much as I love The Jack, I hope this is it,” he answered without hesitation. “We’ve sent it off the right way if that’s the case.”

“It’s 6-2, the scoreboard says at 9:09 on a Friday night, and we’re going to miss this place.

“There’s no place I would rather be than with this group of guys going after this last win. This is the best, best time of our lives.”

Golden Horseshoe Conference champion St. Catharines swept Western Conference Chatham in the round-robin portion of a qualifying tournament that also included the Cambridge Redhawks, the representatives from the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League’s Midwestern Conference.

To Bielby, those wins over the Maroons – 3-2 in overtime, on the road; 5-1 at The Jack – are so much ancient history as was Friday’s victory.

“We’re just going to talk about focusing on that first shift. Everybody worry about their first shift on Sunday and go from there,” he said.