SIX NATIONS – The Warriors are off to an impressive 4-0 start to the Jr. C season after making short work of the visiting Mimico squad at the Iroquois Lacrosse Arena (ILA) Sunday afternoon, by the score of 17-8.
Needless to say, new head coach Jay Smith is happy with what he is getting from his team and the atmosphere in the dressing room, so far at least.
“We’re looking good but we still have to tweak and trim the roster,” says Smith. “We have an abundance of good players. I don’t think it matters who we suit up. We are running away with everyone. Right now, I think we could dress two teams and both would win.”
Smith is proud of his team but knows it will not always be as easy as it has been so far this very young season.
“I don’t think we’ve had our biggest test yet,” says Smith. “But we are sending a message to the league that we are for real and we will not be run over. This early, it’s still a work in progress. There’s always something to work on.”
For Smith, the most important thing he wants to see is respect between the coaching staff and the players — both ways — and between teammates.
“The hardest thing is going to be letting some players go who deserve to be playing,” Smith says. “There’s such a great talent pool here it makes it hard sometimes.”
Tyler Hurschman and Riley Robertson took advantage of some early penalties to take a 2-0 lead, but in the second half of the period, the Warriors came to life to finish the opening period, ahead 7-4.
Bronson Hill and Jaxon Martin scored two first period goals with Cecil Monture, Marshall Powless and Ryan Johnson chipping as well.
Mimico looked like a beaten team with two period left and the young Rebels cashed in on their let down with seven second period goals compared to Mimico’s one for a two period score of 14-5.
In the third, Mimico traded three goals apiece with the Warriors for the 17-8 final score. Mimico’s frustration boiled over in the third setting up a few tussles with main-even combatants Bronson Hill, hit with a five-minute fighting major, a five-minute aggressor major, a fighting 10-minute misconduct, a second 10-minute Fighting Major and a Game Misconduct. Bradley Hutchcraft made a bit of a miscalculation taking on the much smaller Hill. Hutchcraft lost the fight and got a five-minute major and a game misconduct in the bargain. Trent Hill also accumulated 49 minutes in penalties.
Adding points to their stats were Jaxon Martin (3G), Tyrese Staats (1G,3A), Trent Martin (1G,4A), Adam Martin (1G,1A), Lennox Mitten (1G,1A), Cecil Monture (1G), Thomas Todd (1A), Ryan Johnson (1G,4A), Riley Laforme-Hess (1G), Luke Monture (1G), Spencer Martin (1G,3A), Bronson Hill (2G,1A), and Marshall Powless (3G,3A). Goalie of record, Mike Martin-Abel, earned the win for the Warriors.
Saturday night, the Warriors defeated the Oakville Buzz, in Oakville, however the official final score and game sheet was not posted by the league as of deadline.
