As the last two weeks of March begin, the Arena Lacrosse League will be gearing up for finals to begin on April 6 with just one more home game for the Mens Snipers.
Throughout the season, each of the teams have seemed to sit at their current spots for several weeks; as the St. Catharines Shockwave has gone undefeated for a full 11 games, with the Peterborough Timbermen, the Paris RiverWolves, the Toronto Monarchs, the Oshawa Outlaws, the Six nations Snipers and the Whitby Steelhawks each following behind in order.
Although packed with potential, the Snipers haven’t been quite able to climb in league standings but hopes are high once the six teams are matched up for quarter finals as there has been promise of improvement.
Sitting in third place, the Paris RiverWolves and the Snipers have had several close games, but finally the Snipers closed the gap to come out on top.
Coming to the Syl Apps Community Centre last Saturday, the RiverWolves came out ready to score as in the first half of the period they put away three buries. But to close the period, Vernon Hill scored from Lyle Hill and Travis Longboat.
Entering the second, Riley Hess struck back with a goal from Wenster Green and Mike McLaughlin. While the RiverWolves returned three within four minutes of the start. This brought the game to a 2-6 lead for the RiverWolves.
But opened for a barrage of scoring by the Snipers as T. Longboat earned a consecutive hat trick within eight minutes of play and Skye Sunday and Justin Martin put away one each, with J. Martin snagging a pass from Tendy Jake Lazore.
This gave the Snipers a one point lead as McLaughlin earned his first to answer a final goal for the RiverWolves by the end.
Beginning the third, Pierce Abrams scored from T. Longboat and Richard Imus while S. Sunday scored from Pierce Abrams and T. Longboat. The RiverWolves quickly tacked on three more goals and gave themselves a one goal lead by the end.
But getting into the fourth period, the RiverWolves were keen on keeping the lead as they put away another goal. However, Steven Wizniuk scored unassisted and two minutes later S. Sunday buried for a hat trick. This opened for a bit of back and forth as T. Longboat put another one away and so did V. Hill from J. Martin.
But the RiverWolves could only answer twice, as the Snipers controlled the period with further goals from Ian Martin, T. Longboat and V. Hill with his third for a hat trick.
Overall, the game was heavily physical as the minutes accumulated in penalties was in the high teens for the Snipers. But they closed the competition 17-16.
Sitting in the top three players of the game was T. Longboat who earned nine points overall and V. Hill who earned 6 points overall throughout the game.
Their next home game versus the St. Catharines Shockwave falls on Sunday, March 24 at 4 p.m., at the Iroquois Lacrosse Arena, with their final season game up against the Peterborough Timbermen will take place the following Saturday at the Children’s Arena.
