The Western Champion Six Nations Rebels went into Game #3 of their best-of-five finals against the Eastern Division leaders, the Clarington Green Gaels, ahead two games to none in their hopes to get to the Founders Cup playoffs and a chance to take their third Cup Championship in as many years.
Monday night the Rebels came out with brooms, ready to sweep this series as they did the Orangeville Northmen in the Western Conference Finals, Niagara in the WC semi-finals and Brampton in the Round #1 of the 2013 Jr. B playoffs. But they should have brought their sticks instead. The Green Gaels were not ready to concede anything and handed the Rebels their first loss of the 2013 season 13-9, to send the series to Game #4, Wednesday night in Clarington (Whitby).
The Rebels came into the post season on fire, after head coach Murray Porter and his all-star coaching staff guided their team through a perfect 20-0 regular season.
Rebels coach Murray Porter was steaming from the ears after the game and the usually cordial post game interview was reduced to “We didnʼt come to play and weʼll see what happens Wednesday. Thatʼs all I got right now. Iʼm pretty P.Oʼed.”
The Gaels are not a team to take lightly and it appears too many on the Rebels bench thought Game #3 was going to be a walk. It was far from that as the Gaels put everything on the table and the Rebels didnʼt.
The Gaels took a 6-4 first period lead scoring two shorthanded goals within 12 seconds.
Jacob Bomberry, Ian Martin Bo Henhawk and Greg Longboat scored got the Rebels.
Longboatʼs goal came with one second remaining on the clock.
Each team added four goals in the second, ending the period with the Gaels still ahead by two goals. Bomberry, Kyle Isaacs with two, and Dallas Johns accounted for the Rebels second period goals.
The Rebels could not solve Clarington goalie Neil Roberts until Bo Henhawk scored a shorthander, but that would not be enough as the Gaels netted three third period goals on Doug Jamieson after the went in to relieve starter Chase Martin.
Wednesday nightʼs game begins at 8 p.m..
Game #1
REBELS 17 – ORANGEVILLE 4Powered by a 10 point performance by Austin Staats the Six Nations Rebels opened their OLA Jr. B Final series against the Green Gaels with a 19-10 win at the Iroquois
Lacrosse Arena in Six Nations.
The Gaels came out of the blocks loaded for bear taking advantage of two simultaneous minor penalties blown against Gary Dylan Johnson who was tagged with a slashing and a holding call at 4:35 on the same play.
Dylan Goddard and Josh Gilray made the Rebels pay with back-to-back powerplay goals to put the Rebels behind 2-0.
Dallas John broke the ice for Six Nations from Zed Williams and Austin Staats at 6:29, but the Gaels netted two more only eight seconds apart scored by Jordan Saunderson and Goddard.
That was like a slap in the face for the five time Founders Cup champions who exploded with goals by Jacob Bomberry, Mitch Green Ian Martin, and a pair by Staats.
Gaelsʼ Luke Laszkiewicz closed the period at 18:48 which ended with the Rebels clinging to a 6-5 lead.
The Rebels kept the peddle to the metal as the second period began with early goals
scored by Bomberry, Williams, Danton Miller and Bomberryʼs third of the game to take a 1905 lead by the six minute mark.
David Lindsay and Josh Gilray temporarily broke the Six Nationsʼ tidal wave, but the Rebels kept coming with the next five goals recorded by Staats, Williams, Marcus Elvin (shorthanded), Kessler Doolittle (shorthanded), and Green.
Saunderson answered with a single Gaels goal 15:53 to close the second frame with Six Nations in a commanding 15-8 lead.
Bo Henhawk pushed that to 16-8 with an unassisted marker at 2:53. The teams exchanged two goals each before Dallas John and Frank Brown delivered on back to back powerplays to take Game #1, 19-10.
Captain Ian Martin added six assists to his goal for a seven point outing while Zed Williams racked up two goals and four assists and Jacob Bomberry contributed five points with three goals and two assists.
GAME #2
REBELS 6 – GREEN GAELS 4
The Rebels opened Game #2 at the Garnet B. Rickard Rec Complex with three unanswered goals scored by Frank Brown, Dallas John and Kyle Isaacs. The Gaels bounced back in the second half of the period to tie it up at 3-3 before Austin Staats gave the Rebels the 4-3 lead with 15 seconds remaining in the period.
There was no scoring in the second period but there was a lot of great defense and goaltending at both ends.
Jesse Johnson placed the cushion under the Rebels lead at 10:19 of the third and Dallas John added a powerplay goal at 11:39.
Dan Goddard cut the Rebel lead to two goals but Doug Jamieson and the Rebels defense held their ground the rest of the way to win it 6-4.
The first wrinkle to appear on the face of the 2013 Rebels showed itself Monday night as the Rebs suffered their first loss of the final series against the Green Gaels, and their first loss of the entire season. Bo Henhawk was one a only a few Rebels who came to win, scoring two goals and two assists. The Gaels came strong with their back pressed firmly against the wall and put in 60 full minutes of 100% effort. The Rebels did not and that was the difference. (Photo by Jim Windle)