OHSWEKEN — What a series the Sr. B Six Nations Rivermen and Owen Sound North Stars has been. It began July 21st at the Gaylord Powless Arena when the North Stars took a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five semi-final series 11-9 in overtime. The Rivermen were playing catch-up all night and late in the third period, Dylan Llord tied the game and Wayne VanEvery sent the game to OT where Owen Sound capitalized twice on what the referee interpreted as a five-minute spearing call against Roger Vyse.
Sunday, July 22nd, the series shifted to Owen Sound but the results were the same. A late period surge by the Rivermen sent the game to OT, but penalties disrupted any kind of flow for Six Nations and Owen Sound got its second OT win.
Back at the GPA for Game three and potentially the last game of the year for the Rivermen, but they were not ready to step aside and gave the North Stars the toughest game so far, taking the lead at 13:49 and never relinquishing it, despite the North Stars snapping at their heals the whole night. The Rivermen led 2-1 after the first period on goals by Wayne VanEvery and Todd Squire.
It was a high scoring second period with nine goals scored in total, five for Six Nations and four for the Stars to total a 7-5 second period lead. Roger Vyse, Todd Squire, and Brendan Muise contributing for the Rivermen.
Greg Longboat opened the third period and Riley Johnson closed it for the 9-6 win and a chance to fight another day. That opportunity came Saturday night at the Harry Lumley Bayshore Community Centre.
Everyone in the Six Nations dressing room knew what had to be done and they did it eaking out an 8-7 win to even the series at two games apiece and setting up for Tuesday night’s series ending game five, at the GPA in a game that will miss our deadline.
The Rivermen had a strong first period outscoring the Stars 5-2. The North Stars opened and closed the first period, but Six Nations put five goals in-between and added two more in the second while Thompson got his second for the Stars to make it 7-3 after 40 minutes.
But the Stars really wanted to win the series in front of the home crowd and pulled out all the stops in the third period mounting a huge comeback out-scoring Six Nation 4-1 in the period, one goal shy of forcing another OT decision.
Awaiting the winner of this series is the Oakville Titans who won their series over the Brooklin Merchants, who went the distance as well, to take that series 3-2.
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There was no love lost between the Owen Sound North Stars and the Six Nations Rivermen in the semi-finals in the Meredith Cup Sr. B playoffs. Two OT decisions went Owen Sound’s way but the Rivermen rebounded winning the next two to set up for Tuesday night’s Game 5. Photo by Jim Windle
