SIX NATIONS – With six goals and an assist, Layne Smith almost single-handedly eliminated the Oakville Buzz in the rubber match of the best of three series in Jr. C lacrosse action played at the Caledonia Arena Friday night.
On July 5, they won Game 1 of the series with Oakville by the score of 17-14, but lost Game 2, 9-8, in Oakville, July 7.
The Warriors simply outlasted the Buzz with a methodical and focused 10-6 win.
After spotting Oakville the first goal of the game, Vern Hill got things started for the Warriors. Smith started his scoring binge 21 seconds later to quickly take a 2-1 lead.
“I felt pretty good out there tonight,” said Smith after the game in a gross understatement. Smith has also served time this season with the Rebels Jr. B team, but is signed with the Warriors. His performance at the B level has also been good when called upon. He has 16 goals and five assists as a Rebel so far this season.
The Buzz tied it at 2-2 which Wes Whitlow countered a minute later giving the lead back to Six Nations.
Smith put in his second with just under four minutes remaining in the first period to take a 4-2, two-goal lead.
Oakville got the last goal of the period to close the gap but Six Nations held a narrow 4-3 lead after the first period, and for that they can thank goalie Nick Martin who played a whale of a game.
Oakville evened it up at 4-4 early in the second period but that didn’t stand long as Smith powered a screen shoot past Evan Mason in the Oakville net to once again take the lead.
The Buzz were not going down without a darn good fight and once again tied the game at 5-5, and once again Smith was there to take the lead right back after taking a perfect lead pass from Vern Hill, ducking under a check an going high on Mason.
The determined Buzz kept coming and tied it up again, at 6-6. Smith took charge again with his fifth of the game with a rocker from the high slot.
Vern Hill broke the will of the Buzz with a sweet little snap shot with five seconds remaining in the second.
As good as Martin was through the first two frames, he turned his game up to an even higher level in the third, turning aside Oakville chances time after time to shut them out of the final 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, Layne Smith wasn’t quite finished and scored his sixth of the game to make it a 9-6 game and capped the night off with an assist on Daniel Henhawks 10-6 goal.
Semi-Finals schedule versus the Wilmott Wild
Game 1 Sunday, July 10, in Wilmott
Game 2 Tuesday, July 12, 7:30 p.m., Caledonia Arena
Game 3 Thursday, July 14, 8 p.m., Wilmott Arena
Game 4* Saturday, July 16, 7:30 p.m., Caledonia Arena
Game 5* Sunday, July 17, 7 p.m., Wilmott Arena
