FORT ERIE, ONTARIO – The 2026 Sutherland Cup playoffs began on Saturday for the Brantford Titans in Fort Erie against the Meteors. This was the first time in GOHL/GOJHL history that Brantford and Fort Erie would face off in the postseason and it happened in front of a packed house at the Fort Erie Leisureplex. James Gall got the start in net for the Titans while the Meteors countered with Rafael Tremblay.
Fort Erie would get a couple of chances in the first 90 seconds of the hockey game and James Gall was ready for the test, making all 3 early saves on a couple of odd man rushes in tight. However, just 2:02 into the opening frame, the Meteors would streak in from centre on a two on one resulting in the games first goal. Tate Donald received the pass from Hunter Coley to make it 1-0. Just before the midway mark of the first, the Meteors would force a turnover in the offensive zone and the shot from the right wing wall would get deflected in front by Danny Adamo past Gall to make it 2-0 Fort Erie. The Titans would kill off a couple of penalties in the second half of the period and make sure the game stayed at 2-0 after 20 minutes. Fort Erie outshot Brantford in the first period, 18-7.
Early in the second, the Titans would get their first opportunity on the power play and they would go to work. Off the face-off, Ryan Scriven would work it down low, below the goal line to Kaden Wicklander who would find Gavin Christie back door and behind the defence and Christie would make no mistake to pot his first career playoff goal to make it 2-1. Immediately following that goal, the Meteors would look for an answer at the other end but the right toe of James Gall had other ideas as he would slide across and rob Aiden Zimmerman, to keep it a one goal game. Brantford would get another power play chance closer to the middle of the second period and they picked up right where they left off on their previous man advantage. The Titans would control the puck for about 90 percent of the power play and in the late stages, Mason Takacs would fire the point shot off the cross bar. The Titans were inches away from tying the game but Tremblay got a little help from his best friend in red. Gall would make another ten bell save with just under 90 seconds to go in the period as Coley streaked in on a short handed breakaway but he could not beat the Titans goaltender. The middle frame would end with the Titans still down 2-1 heading into the intermission and with the Meteors outshooting the Titans 30-17.
In the third, the two teams would trade chances at each end but no one could solve either of the masked men and Tremblay and Gall were both standing tall to begin the final frame. At the 11:21 mark of the third, David Buchman would get called for roughing, putting Fort Erie on the power play. Evan Nicholson would fire a shot past James Gall on the blocker side to make it 3-1 Meteors. The Titans would pull Gall to try and get even late but they could not solve Tremblay more than once as the Meteors would hang on for the victory. Fort Erie would outshoot Brantford 38-26 in the game.
The Fort Erie Meteors lead this best of seven series 1-0. Game 2 is on Monday in Brantford at 7:30pm.
