St. Catharines Athletics End Regular Season With Loss To Brampton Excelsiors

PHOTO: JERAMIE BAILEY

The Brampton Excelsiors and Six Nations Arrows continue to flip-flop in the final OJLL playoff position. On Wednesday night, the Excelsiors needed a win in St Catharines to take back eighth place. Thanks to a big offensive night from Eric Ward, they won 7-4, ending the Athletics’ regular season.

Eric Ward got the scoring started less than three minutes into the first period, and would assist on Bowie Horsman’s thirty-fourth goal of the season four minutes later. Both Brampton markers, however, were answered by goals from the Athletics leading to a 2-2 tied after the first period.

The goaltenders stole the show in the second. Connor O’Toole stopped all 14 St Catharines shots he faced in the period, part of 47 saves off 51 overall. And Oliver Vanyo stopped 19 of 20 in the frame, going 46 of 53 on the night. Brampton led 3-2 after two.

A late penalty to St Kitts carried over into the third, and it took Horsman just 34 seconds to score his second of the night. That led to three straight for the Excelsiors, with Ward assisting on two of them. An Excelsiors major penalty allowed Zackary Toll and Carson Robbins to close the gap, but in the end it was not enough as the Brampton Excelsiors win for just the third time in seven games, 7-4, but still find themselves in eighth in the OJLL standings.

Eric Ward led the Excelsiors with five points (2 goals, 3 assists). Christopher DaSilva was right behind with four (1 goal, 3 assists).

Zackary Toll (2 goals, 1 assist) and Keaton Zavitz (1 goal, 2 assists) led the A’s.

Brampton are one game ahead of Six Nations (6-11) in the standings, but just one game behind the eight wins of Whitby (8-11) and St Catharines (8-12). Their final two games of the season are in Orangeville (18-0) July 7 and at home to Mimico (10-7) July 9.

Six Nations will finish in Mimico July 8, at home to Toronto July 9, and in Kitchener-Waterloo July 11.