By Darryl G. Smart
When the Caledonia Corvairs returned to the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League after a one-year hiatus, they wanted to make an impression.After 50 regular season games, they certainly did.
The Corvairs wrapped up its regular season with a 4-1 road win over the Niagara Falls Jr Canucks Friday, and a 3-2 victory Saturday at home against the Thorold Blackhawks.And with that, its 45-4-0-1 record was more than a league and Golden Horseshoe Conference best. The 91 points ties the franchise’s record for points in a season with the 2013-14 and 2017-18 teams.
The 2013-14 season ended with Sutherland Cup championship, while the 2017-18 team lost to the Listowel Jr B Cyclones in the Ontario Hockey Association junior B final.On Saturday, newly acquired free agent goalie Evan Reinhart made his Corvairs debut and made 15 saves in the 3-2 win over the Blackhawks.
It was Rienhart’s first GOJHL action since playing for the Cyclones during that Sutherland Cup run in 2018.
After Trevor Neuman scored twice in the first period for the Blackhawks, Reinhart and the Corvairs settled in.Michael Barker, Danyk Druin and Dylan D’Agostino all scored in the second period to lead the way.
Friday in Niagara Falls, Aiden Hughes made 22 saves, while Barker, Ryan Wells, Tanner Brennecke, and D’Agostino provided the goal scoring.
Andrew Bruno scored the lone Canucks goal.
With the regular season over, the Corvairs will meet up with the eighth-place Buffalo Regals Hockey in the best-of-seven GOJHL Golden Horseshoe Conference quarter-final.
In the other quarter-finals, the second-seeded Canucks face the seventh-seeded Fort Erie Meteors, while the third-place St. Catharines Falcons take on the sixth-place Pelham Panthers, and the fourth-place Hamilton Kilty B’s face the fifth-place Blackhawks.
Corvairs vs Regals
Best-of-seven GOJHL GHC quarter-final
Game 1 in Caledonia, Tuesday, 7:30pm
Game 2 in Buffalo, Wednesday, 7pm
Game 3 in Caledonia, Saturday, 7:30pm
Game 4 in Buffalo, March 2, 7pm
Game 5 in Caledonia, March 3, 7:30pm
Game 6 in Buffalo, March 5, 7pm
Game 7 in Caledonia, March 7, 7:30pm