Move pays off for Reid

By Bill Potrecz - March 26, 2021

bpsports reid Chris Reid wasn’t quite sure what to make of it when he was asked about moving to forward from his familiar spot on the blueline.

The 15-year-old Niagara Falls native was a solid rearguard for the Southern Tier Admirals U15 squad when head coach Steve Webb approached him about the switch.

“It was a shock. I never knew I had it in me,” Reid said.

Reid quickly showed he had all the tools to be a successful — even a dominant — forward.

“My first time at forward was for a Marlies Tournament and I was top 10 in points in the tournament,” said Reid, a Grade 10 student at Saint Michael Catholic High School.

“It’s way more fun than defence. Once you get the puck on your stick you know you have to do something with it.”

Reid was put on a line with Dylan Lariviere and Sam Tonelli and the unit quickly clicked to become a potent offensive force, finishing second as a line in scoring in the South Central AAA circuit.

“Last year we had a lot of points,” Reid said of his line. “I was a goal scorer and playmaker. I would go into the corners but that wasn’t really my job. I would be more of a set-up guy or a guy who could put the puck in the back of the net.”

Former Mustang, Sydney Sica joins Niagara College

By Bernie Puchalski - March 23, 2021

From Mustang Sica The next chapter of Sydney Sica’s soccer career will play out at Niagara College.

Sica, who was part of Saint Michael Catholic High School squads that qualified for three straight Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations championships and won two provincial silver medals, spent one year at Ryerson and two years with the Brock Badgers women’s program before signing with Niagara on the weekend.

“I love being in a group of girls, especially in the soccer culture. With team bonding, it is a great way to make friends while you enjoy the college and university experience,” the 22-year-old Niagara Falls native said. “It’s a great experience and it teaches you a lot about time management and being a student/athlete.”

She was also drawn to Niagara by the school’s two-year nursing program.

“I know they provide a lot of great opportunities in the health care field, especially from a clinical standpoint, and I really wanted to get that experience with the simulations and the real life situations they provide.”

Otters sign Falls native

By Bill Potrecz - March 16, 2021

BPSports Lowe Otters Cam Lowe will never forget his 17th birthday.

As well as gifts, phone calls and messages from friends and family, Lowe received a text from Erie Otters vice president of operations/general manager Dave Brown offering him a contract.

Lowe, a 6-foot, 156-pound centre, was selected 128th overall the seventh round of the Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection in 2020.

“Basically, it came out of nowhere,” said Lowe, a Niagara Falls native who attends Saint Michael Catholic High School. “They told me the news on my birthday, which was crazy.

“It was probably one of the best birthday presents I ever received.”

Lowe admitted he didn’t see the offer coming.

“I was startled. It didn’t expect it. It was a big goal of mine to make the team this year,” he said. “It was a shock and a bit of a surprise.

“I didn’t expect there to be a season due to the COVID. It was crazy news to receive.”

There has been no official announcement if the OHL will have a season, although the rumour mill is heating up.

“I’m hearing rumours about hub cities and stuff and a season coming up so I’m just preparing myself for that and waiting for the call to go to camp and get started,” Lowe said. “It’s kind of quiet right now. We’re just waiting for everything to be announced.