The St. Catharines Rankin Construction Falcons wrote their name into the record books Saturday night in Fort Erie.
The Falcons defeated the Fort Erie Meteors 4-1 to capture the best-of-seven Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League Eastern Conference championship 4-2.
It is the first Eastern Conference title after the GOJHL revamped the league this year, going from three conferences to two.
Overall, this the Falcons’ 19th league/conference championship since the franchise was formed in 1968 as a member of the Niagara District League. They will be making their ninth appearance in the Sutherland Cup finals, seeking their third championship after winning in 2012 and 2022.
As the final seconds ticked off the clock, the Falcons poised themselves on the bench before pouring over at the final buzzer, mobbing goaltender Hayden Jeffery.
While the players celebrated on the ice, Falcons president of hockey operations and head coach Tyler Bielby looked on with pride.
“That’s why we do it,” Bielby said. “They get to carry this with them forever, but we’re not done. This is just one part of our goal. Let them enjoy it tonight and then we’re going to get back to it.”
The Falcons went down 2-1 in the series but regrouped to win the final three games with some of their most complete efforts of the season.
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