SIX NATIONS – The Wilmott Wild handed the Six Nations Rebels only its second loss of the OJBLL season to date, 9-8, at the Wilmott Arena, Sunday.
Perhaps all the easy early success of this year’s Rebels backfired against the Wild who fought hard all game for the win.
Tehashitchele Powless combined with Marshall Powless for the Warriors’ only goal of the period, which ended 3-1 in favour of Wilmott.
The Warriors rebounded in the second to carve one goal from the Wild lead, closing the second period with Wilmott still leading but only by one at 7-6.
Wilmott continued to trade goals with the Warriors in the third but Six Nations could not find the goal that would send the game to OT as the Wild held on for the 9-8 win and hand Warriors goalie Mike Martin-Able his first loss of the season.
Despite the loss, the Ontario Jr. C lacrosse league is looking at this year’s Six Nations Warriors as the target to aspire to as the season progresses. This powerhouse squad had scored 177 goals while the stonewall defense and goaltending has allowed only 74 goals-against.
Friday night the Warriors took yet another easy win against Whitby registering a 14-3 victory at the McKinney Rink No. 1. After most of the first period was spent getting their legs under themselves, the Warriors were ready to turn on the power with five minutes remaining in the first period. Jaxon Martin Marshall Powless, Matt Miller and Martin Burning-Bomberry all scored, Burning-Bomberry scored with four seconds remaining in the period.
The Warriors kept applying pressure and constructed an 8-0 lead before Whitby got on the scoreboard at 15:27. Riley Laforme-Hess scored with two seconds left in the second period to comfortably hold a 9-1 lead with one period left to play.
Devin Gilligan and Andrew Juciuk brought the Mountaineers back into the game to start the third period cutting the Warrior lead to 9-3. Warriors’ Tyrese Staats wanted more and exploded with a three-goal third period, as Laforme-Hess and Todd Thomas Jr. added goals before the game ended for the 14-3 final score.
The Warriors were coming off Thursday night’s 24-2 cakewalk past the Fergus Thistles in Fergus. Token resistance was put up by the Thistles as it was 7-1 after the first period and 18-2 after an 11-goal outburst in the second period.
Associate Player, goalie Mike Martin-Abel earned his fourth Jr. C win in the Warriors goal, backstopping wins against Whitby, Fergus, Mimico and Caledon.
Ryan Johnson scored three and assisted on eight for an 11 point game with Trent Martin (3G,6A), Marshall Powless (6G,3A), Matt Miller (5G), Todd Thomas (3G,1A) to name only a few Warriors adding points to their statistics.
The Warriors will visit Mimico Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. for their only game of the week.
