Admirals’ Meyerink gets first season shutout against 73’s

By Todd Shearon
Staff Reporter

Avenging a championship series loss from only a few months ago, the Integrity Amherstburg Admirals added to their undefeated season by blanking the Essex 73’s in a rematch of last season’s Great Lakes Jr. C. Finals.

“Our fans wanted to see how we measured up,” said general manager and owner Wes Ewer. “Beating a championship team is always a big win, but it has a certain splendour when the team you beat eliminated you in the previous league finals. We weren’t really thinking about them at all, we were more focused on ourselves as a team going into this game.”

Blain Bechard’s game winning goal opened the scoring at 10:11 in the first period. The lead was upheld by strong defensive play and a well-executed penalty kill on three Essex power plays.

“Our defensive core is strong,” said head coach Paul Bortignon. “We have several two-way forwards who want to play more defensively. This is the type of play we wanted to implement from day one last year and it’s finally starting to show. We’d rather win a game 4-1 than 8-5.”

In a rare turn of events, the game was nearly called due to unfit ice conditions with 13:52 remaining. After discussion the players and fans were moved to another ice pad in the facility to resume and finish the game.

“It was pretty emotional. A lot of the guys were pretty upset,” said Admirals goaltender Connor Meyerink. “Not the fact that we were getting screwed over. More of the fact we wanted to play hockey. We didn’t want to have to take the win like that.”

The Belle River native and game’s first star Connor Meyerink stopped all 30 Essex shots on route to get the shutout win.

“I don’t think there’s much I can say,” Ewer said. “For a rookie to come in and hold down a team like that in his first home game has got to be really special for him.”

Meyerink battled hard making several dramatic game changing saves right down to the final minute of play before teammate Dylan Muzzatti added an unassisted empty net goal with only 29 seconds remaining.

“It feels great. It was hard work but that’s what got the job done. That’s what it came down to,” saidMeyerink. “I think we had more of a desire to beat these guys for sure. I think I had the most (desire) considering my (twin) brother plays on the other team. I just wanted to win really badly.”

The six-foot-one goalie spent last season with the Windsor Jr. Spitfires Midget AAA and signed with the Admirals after attending the Leamington Flyers camp.

“He (Meyerink) out-dueled the best goalie in the league and had an outcome like this,” Bortignon said. He’s been our number one. He held up against two strong teams like Blenheim and Essex and has earned the next start. Now we know he can play the big games we can wait and see how he progresses over a six, seven and eight game span.”

The Admirals head to Mooretown Sept. 26 hoping to improve on their 3-0-1 record before heading home to face the Lakeshore Canadiens Sept. 27 with a 7 p.m. start at the Libro Credit Union Centre.