St. George Ravens Sweep Niagara Predators to Advance to South Division Semifinals

The #3 seed St. George Ravens punched their ticket to the South Division semifinals after securing a two-game sweep over the #6 seed Niagara Predators. The Ravens showcased a strong team effort, backstopped by stellar goaltending from Gleb Rakov, to move on to face the #2 seed North York Renegades in the next round.

Game 1: St. George Takes Control on Home Ice

Final Score: St. George 4, Niagara 2
Date: Thursday, February 20, 2025
Location: Gaukel Memorial Community Centre, St. George, ON

In the series opener, the Ravens capitalized on their opportunities and leaned on the brilliance of goaltender Gleb Rakov, who stopped 40 of 41 shots faced to secure a 4-2 victory.

St. George got on the board early as Daniel Tremblay found the net just over two minutes into the game, assisted by Logan Laush and Jason Bob Salt. After Niagara's Maksim Chikinev tied it up, the Ravens responded quickly, regaining the lead with a goal from Theo Wolfe before Brady Conrad extended the advantage late in the period.

Despite a scoreless second frame, Niagara pushed back hard in the third, outshooting St. George 19-10. Ethan Ingram cut the deficit to one midway through the period, but an empty-net tally from Anthony Arthurs sealed the win for St. George in the dying seconds.

Game 2: Ravens Prevail in Overtime Thriller

Final Score: St. George 5, Niagara 4 (OT)
Date: Friday, February 21, 2025
Location: Meridian Credit Union Arena, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON

With a chance to close out the series on the road, St. George found themselves locked in a battle with a desperate Niagara team. The Predators struck twice on the power play and carried the play at times, outshooting the Ravens 43-35, but St. George found a way to emerge victorious in overtime.

Anthony Arthurs opened the scoring just over two minutes in, only for Chikinev to answer with a power-play goal for Niagara. Chikinev struck again early in the second to give the Predators their first lead of the series, but St. George responded with three goals in a seven-minute span, courtesy of Connor Lebel-Potts, Landon McDougall, and Logan Laush. Niagara forced overtime when Shane Kaplan struck on the power play just 13 seconds into the third period.

With the game on the line, it was Anthony Arthurs who played the hero, netting the series-clinching goal at 15:59 of overtime off a feed from his brother Tyler Arthurs. Rakov was once again outstanding, turning aside 39 of 43 shots to backstop the Ravens into the next round.

Goaltending Battle

St. George's Gleb Rakov was the difference-maker in the series, finishing with a .940 save percentage while making 79 saves across the two games. His performance, highlighted by a stellar 40-save outing in Game 1, frustrated Niagara’s shooters and provided the Ravens with the backbone they needed to sweep the series. On the other side, Niagara’s Daniel Rose was solid, stopping 65 of 73 shots, but couldn't outduel Rakov when it mattered most.

Key Performances

• Gleb Rakov (St. George): 79 saves on 84 shots, .940 SV%
• Anthony Arthurs (St. George): 3G, 1A, including the OT winner in Game 2
• Daniel Tremblay (St. George): 1G, 2A, key offensive presence in Game 1
• Maksim Chikinev (Niagara): 3G, 0A, including two goals in Game 2
• Luca Fernandez (Niagara): 1G, 2A, consistent playmaker throughout the series

Implications

With the series win, the St. George Ravens now advance to the South Division semifinals, where they will face the #2 seed North York Renegades. The Ravens will need another strong performance from Rakov and continued offensive contributions from their top players to pull off an upset against a tough North York squad. A full series preview will follow as both teams gear up for what promises to be an exciting matchup.