SIX NATIONS – After Thursday night’s 16-10 road win over the Wilmott Wild, the Jr. C Six Nations Warriors led all 15 teams the both divisions with 12 wins, and two losses for 24 points. The Warriors will close out the regular season on the road in Halton Hills Wednesday, June 28. Playoff matchups are not complete at this time.
In Wilmott, the Warriors and the Wild provided some entertaining moments. The game was much more important for the Wild than the Warriors, who have clinched first place. Wilmott was trying to free themselves from a second-place tie with the Fergus Thistles.
Wilmott came out with a mission and ran stride for stride with Six Nations through the first period, which ended tied at 4-4. Scoring for the Warriors were Todd Thomas Jr., with two, Tyrese Staats and Marshall Powless.
The Wild, still very much in the game, pushed past the Warriors 6-4 by the four-minute mark of the second period. That is when Tyrese Staats took over, scoring at 5:05 and again at 6:25, both unassisted, and adding his third goal of the period at 10:03. Also scoring for the Warriors were Ryan Johnson, Owen Martin, Marshall Powless, Tehashitchele Powless and Nathan Maracle to deliver the knockout blow 13-6 after two periods.
Although Wilmott was able to carve away one goal in the third period the Warrior explosion in the middle frame, was enough to take the win. Daris Anderson, Ryan Johnson and Tyrese Staats, with his fifth of the game and 21st of the season, scored for Six Nations.
There is little love lost between these two franchises and should they meet in the playoffs, are sure to create sparks.
It has been a solid regular season the Warriors have enjoyed under the leadership of Jayson Smith, the father of Jr. B star, Layne Smith. He and his bench staff have the Warriors working like a fine-tuned machine and will turn it up even higher for the playoffs. The Warriors are poised to get their hands on the 2017 Presidents Cup. To do so, they will have to take it from last year’s winners, the Clarington Shamrocks, who have won it four times.
According to Smith, the playoffs will begin against Caledon at the GPA although a time and schedule is yet to be completed.
