OHSWEKEN – The Six Nations Rivermen are back on the floor at the Gaylord Powless Arena in Ohsweken after waiting out a first round bye in the OLA Sr. B playoffs. The Rivermen are looking for a second consecutive President’s Cup.
The Ennismore James Gang got the assignment to try and knock off last year’s champs after winning their opening series over the Wallaceburg Thrashers, but it didn’t start out well for them at all.
In the first game, Friday night at the GPA, the Rivermen found themselves having to come from behind for a 6-5 win after opening a 4-1 first period lead over the Gang with goals scored by Stu Hill, two by Layne Smith and one by Tommy Montour. Kyle Trolley scored for Ennismore.
Goalie Grant Crawley and the Rivermen defence took a break in the second period as Joel Wasson, Pat McCrory, Jeff Swift and Josh Gilray turned the 4-1 Six Nations lead into a 5-4 definite.
“Grant has a 10-0 record with us,” defends Montour. “Like everybody else he has a bad period now and then.”
After giving their collective heads a shake between periods, the Rivermen evened the score with Dwayne Porter’s first of the night at 2:42 of the third. He also recorded the game winner at 14:38 from Roger Vyse and Wayne Hill.
“We were a bit rusty from having two weeks off,” said coach Stew Montour. “We are a team that has to keep the engine running. We don’t respond well to time off.”
Game 2 was a lot less dramatic as the Rivermen rebounded after shaking off the rust in Game 1, with an easy 10-3 win in Ennismore.
“We just went back to the basics and played a patient game in Ennismore,” said Montour. “That’s where we find the most success.”
Travis Bland opened the scoring from Roger Vyse and Cory Bomberry before the two-minute mark. Wasson answered for the Gang less than a minute later.
Bomberry, Vyse and two by Tom Montour created a 5-1 Six Nations lead after 20 minutes.
The James Gang cut the lead to 5-2 in the second, but that did not stop the Rivermen offence. Chayton King, Rodd Squire Jr., and Bomberry ended the second frame with Six Nations well ahead at 8-2.
Bland and Hill added six Nations goals in the third before the Gang netted their third and final goal of the game for the 10-3 final.
