SIX NATIONS – The first round of playoffs is underway for the Six Nations Jr. B Rebels and they Rebs are one win away from sweeping the Point Edward Pacers out of the way.
The Rebels easily won Game 1 and Game 2, 14-6 Friday night and 19 7 Saturday night. Wednesday night, June 28, at the Iroquois Lacrosse Arena (ILA), it could be all over for the Pacers in the best-of-five series.
Saturday night the Point Edward Pacers knew what they needed to do after falling 14-6 at Six Nations. The problem was, they couldn’t do it any better at home than they did at the ILA the night before.
Pacers fans got the chance to cheer first when Cole Wilkinson gave Point Edward the 1-0 lead at 2:50, a lead that would last until4:27 when Riley Miller kicked open the Pacers front door leading a parade of nine unanswered Rebels goal. Oliver Bolsterli delivered number nine with two seconds remaining on the clock.
Riley Miller and Wes Whitlow made it 11-1by the 2:24 point of the second period. The Pacers came to life with the next three goals to at least get within the same postal code of the Rebels, 11-4.
Kevin Owen Hill notched a powerplay goal to make it 12-4, and Cory Bar scored a late period goal to end two periods with the Rebels ahead 12-5.
After a 7-2 third period for the Rebels, the Pacers looked just about ready to concede defeat knowing there was at least one more humiliation to endure, Wednesday night at the ILA.
The series began for the Jr. B Six Nations Rebels against the Point Edward Pacers Friday night at the Iroquois Lacrosse Arena in Six Nations.
The Pacers appeared a bit mesmerized by the speed and ball handling skills of the Rebels in the first period and watched as the Rebels opened a 5-0 gash into the Pacers beginning with the first goal of the playoffs for Six Nations scored by Chayton King, from Garrett Vyse-Square, 53 seconds into the game. He scored his second at 7:04, from Ricky Smith and Wes Whitlow. Layne Smith, Ricky Smith and Wes Whitlow created the 5-0 first period bulge.
Riley Montour was sprung free by Oviver Bolsterli at 2:09 of the second period before Layne Smith took a perfect down-floor pass to Layne Smith who buried it for the seventh Six Nations goal.
Lucus Knowles broke the goose-egg for Point Edward at 10:34 but a minute later Justin Martin made it an 8-1 game, short-handed and unassisted. Briley Miller stopped what could have been a Racers rally when he stopped a clear breakaway, making it look easy.
But the Pacers, who brought a good hometown crowd with them, closed the gap considerably by scoring the final three goals of the period.
With the score now 8-4 in Six Nations favour, Point Edwards shaved another goal from the Six Nations lead but Riley Montour and Kevin Owen Hill pushed back. Knowles would score the last Pacers goal at 10:02 of the third.
Racers goalie Brayden Bell learned not to take Layne Smith lightly when he is in front of you. He attempted a down floor pass from his crease, but Smith, handing back to rush the goalie, snagged the pass right out of Bell’s stick and put it behind him for the 11-6 goal, causing fans from both teams to shake their heads.
That was the heart breaker for the Pacers and they didn’t get another ball past Miller while Gates Abrams, Khan General and Justin Martin put the cherry on top of the 14-6, Game 1 of the best of five series win.
Game 3 is set for Friday night at the ILA at 8 p.m.
