Petti Gives Saints Saturday Night Fever With 6-2 Win

It was a one-man wrecking crew on Saturday night at the Merritton Centennial Arena, as Niki Petti lit the lamp four times to power the St. Catharines Saints to a decisive 6-2 victory over the league-leading Stoney Creek Tigers. The win keeps the Saints alive in their bid for a 2026 Robertson Cup playoff berth while simultaneously denying Stoney Creek the chance to clinch top spot in the standings.

Bo Webster opened the scoring for the Tigers at 8:35 of the first period, but that would be as good as it got for Stoney Creek. Petti answered with a shorthanded marker at 14:33 to level the score, then gave the home side the lead with just 62 seconds remaining in the opening frame.

He wasn't done. Petti completed the hat trick 2:38 into the middle period, and Cial Cirillo extended the Saints' advantage to three goals at 15:07. The Tigers threatened to make things interesting when Jayme Forslund potted his first of the season just 66 seconds later to cut the deficit in half, but any hope of a Stoney Creek comeback was quickly snuffed out.

Matthew Riva and Petti — securing his fourth of the night — added insurance markers in the third period to put the game firmly out of reach.

Between the pipes, Trevor Micucci was outstanding, turning aside 39 shots and conceding just twice to earn the victory. Matt Sagrott took the loss for Stoney Creek, giving up six goals on 45 shots.

With the Allan Cup Hockey League regular season entering its final week, the drama is far from over. Two playoff spots remain up for grabs and first place has yet to be decided. The Saints hit the road Friday to face the Dundas McCoys before returning home Saturday to host the Cambridge Hornets, with both games dropping the puck at 7:30 p.m. Those two contests will determine which teams round out the postseason field.

Meanwhile, the Tigers face a home-and-home series against the Wentworth Gryphins with the top seed on the line. Game one goes Thursday night at the Harry Howell Arena at 7:30 p.m., with the rematch set for Saturday at the Stoney Creek Arena at 6:30 p.m.

Upcoming Games
Thursday February 26
Stoney Creek at Wentworth – 7:30pm

Friday February 27
St. Catharines at Dundas – 7:30pm

Saturday February 28
Wentworth at Stoney Creek – 6:30pm
Cambridge at St. Catharines – 7:30pm

-- End of Regular Season --

Follow the Allan Cup Hockey League social media on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and Bluesky.

For more information contact Allan Cup Hockey Commissioner Rick Richardson at 905-328-4727 or email: rickystar911@outlook.com