SIX NATIONS – Goalie Doug Jamieson and the Six Nations Arrows held Northmen to one goal as they closed out the 2017 regular season with an 8-1 win, Sunday night at the Iroquois Lacrosse Arena (ILA).
Last Thursday, the Arrows travelled to Mimico and came back with an 11-5 win over the Mountaineers. As a result, the Arrows remain in first place with a 10-point cushion over second place Brampton Excelsiors.
Sunday night, the Northmen scored their first and only goal of the game at 2:25 of the first period. The Arrows scored the next eight with Ryan Jones, Travis Longboat (2G), Austin Staats (2G), Cory Highfield, and Chauncey Hill. Scoring for Six Nations.
The Arrows were outshot 41-39, but Jamieson was a wall against Northmen shooters.
It didn’t take long for tensions between these two franchises to explode. Six Nations’ Tyson Bomberry and Orangeville’s Mike MacCannell squared off at 4:33 of the first period. After doling out 34 minutes in penalties to the two combatants, the Arrows turned their attention to lacrosse scoring three in the second and three more in the third.
Friday at the Innisfil Recreation Centre, the Arrows spotted the Toronto Lakeshores the first goal of the game at 39 seconds before answering with a five-goal outpouring. The first frame ended with the Arrows up 6-4.
Six Nations expanded its lead to 9-5, after the second period and outscored the Lakeshores 4-1 for the 13-6 final.
Jeremy Bomberry assisted on five of the Arrows goals, Percy Booth scored three times and Ryan Jones assisted on four to lead the Arrows offense in points. Owen Hill scored one and assisted on three.
Six Nations Arrows final two games of the regular season are set for Wednesday July 5, in St. Catharines before closing out the regular season at home Thursday, July 6, as the Toronto Beaches visit the ILA at 8 p.m. At that point they will have to wait for the regular season to end elsewhere so the playoff matchups can be made.
As with most other Six Nations teams, this year’s Arrows have a well-balanced, even attack and a very deep bench. That combination is what makes defending against the Arrows can be like a game of whack-a-mole. Cover Staats and Travis Longboat pops up. Cover Longboat and Cory Highfield will hurt you.
Add to that the microscopic 5.66 goals-against-average of Doug Jamieson in goal, frustrates opposition shooters, even if they get past the Arrows solid defense. This is not going to be an easy team to beat especially in the playoffs.
