SIX NATIONS — Last season at around this time, the Six Nations Rebels, who had a great regular season and favourites to retake the Founders Cup, suddenly collapsed in the playoffs against the Orangeville Northmen., who went on to win the National Jr. B title.
But the Six Nations Rebels dispatched the 2017 Founders Cup winning Orangeville Northman in three straight games completing the task Friday night at the ILA with an 11-7 Game no. 3 victory.
The Rebels completed the second sweep on the post season, after blowing through the St. Catharines Spartans in three straight games.
They await the winners of the Elora Mohawks and the Wallaceburg Red Devils series to determine who is next in the Rebels’ quest to return the Founders Cup to Six Nations. The Rebels owned the Cup from 2011 to 2014 before Akwesasne won it in 2015.
This year, the Rebels are a young and exciting team to watch and are the hands-on favourites to earn another shot at the Founders Cup but will have to get by either Elora or Wallaceburg for the Divisional title. Meanwhile in the East, the Akwesasne Mohawks and play for the Colby Hancock Memorial Trophy after defeating the Oakville Buzz in three. They will likely be facing the Green Gaels who lead their series against the Kahnawake 2-0 as of Saturday.
The Rebels opened the series against the defending champs 9-6. In Game no.2 the Rebs took an 18-10 decision and Friday the 13th proved to be bad luck for the Northmen as the Rebels pushed aside Orangeville, 11-7.
The Rebels took a 4-1 first period lead and rode it to the win on the strength of the Rebels powerplay unit which was good on four of five powerplay opportunities. Meanwhile the Northmen had twice as many chances at 10 powerplay opportunities which produced four powerplay goals.
The Northmen pushed back hard in the second period. After Riley Miller and Bo Peltier scored to begin the second period Orangeville’s Grayson Houghton exploded with four goals, three of them on power plays. Chayton King interrupted Houghton’s outburst but the Rebels still held a 7-5 two period lead.
The Rebels turned it on again in the third starting with Riley Miller’s powerplay goal at 2:47 from Khan General and Wes Whitlow. Bo Peltier and two by Wes Whitlow left the Northmen in the dust at 11-5. Two late game extra-player goals brought it closer but in the end, the Northmen were vanquished by the Rebels. Chayton King led the Rebels with three goals and an assist, and Wes Whitlow added two goals and four assists. Daniel Hill earned the win in the Rebels goal.
As of our deadliine, the Rebels next hurdle, the Western Finals, against Elora has not been established.
