SIX NATIONS — The 2016 Jr. B lacrosse season opened Friday night for the four-time Founders Cup Champion Six Nations Rebels, at the Iroquois Lacrosse Arena. It couldn’t have been a closer game as the Owen Sound NorthStars and Rebs were neck and neck all night and into overtime. Even in the OT frame there was no decisive winner and the game ended in an 8-8 tie.
Sunday night, in the Rebel’s second game of the season, also at the ILA, the Point Edward Pacers from the Far West Division paid a rare visit to Six Nations, and from their perspective, they probably don’t want to be back any time soon. The Pacers lost 16-3, and even that was flattering.
Tyler Hastings stood up to 73 Rebels’ shots in the Pacers’ goal stopping 57 of them. Briley Miller went two periods before handing off to Dustin Hill to complete the win. Rebels hot sticks belonged to Kevin Owen-Hill (3G,2A), Travis Longboat (3G,2A), Colin Montour (2G,2A), and Garret Vyse-Squire (3G,1A).
Kevin Owen-Hill takes credit for scoring the first goal of the season for the Rebels, assisted by Daylan Hill and Ricky Smith at 12:22 of the first period in the Rebel’s home-opener played Friday night. The NorthStars got that one back before the end of the first period.
There was lots of scoring in the second period with each side adding four goals to their total to end the second period tied at 5-5. Garrett Vyse-Squire gave the narrow lead back to Six Nations from Travis Longboat and Lyle Hill at 12 seconds of the second, which touched off a three goal outburst by Owen Sound only stopped by Owen-Hill’s second of the game. Longboat and WakeRiat Bowhunter closed out the Rebels second period scoring.
Longboat scored second of the game from Ron Elijah-Brown, but the NorthStars were not about to give up and scored twice early in the period to once again take the lead. Owen-Hill played the hero at 14:19 to send the game into OT.
In the extra frame, Owen Sound scored first, but Josh Miller answered a minute later and it was even again. By league rules, the game was declared an 8-8 tie. Briley Miller was in goal for the Rebels while Dylan ORourke held the fort for Owen Sound.
Collecting their first Jr. B points were Brody Longboat (1A), WakeRiat Bowhunter (1G), and Lyle Hill (2A), while veterans Travis Longboat (2G,4A), Kevin Owen Hill (3G), Josh Miller (1G), Garrett Vyse-Squire (1G), lead the Rebels offense.
With six new Jr. B’s and two AP call ups from the Six Nations minors, this is a young Rebels team with a lot to prove between now and the 2016 President’s Cup game to be played in Orangeville later this summer.
The junior rights to defensive expert Brayden Hill, and Ty Logan was transfer from the Rebels to Jr. A Six Nations Arrows Express before the season began.
Upcoming games include, Friday, April 22, when the Welland Generals come to Six Nations for an 8 p.m. start. The Rebs will then take the 403 to London and the Lambeth Arena for a Sunday challenge with the London Blue Devils in a 7 p.m. start.
