Thunderhawks sweep regional rivals
Niagara improves to 2-1 with victories over St. Catharines, Welland in junior B boxla
Two weeks into the Ontario Junior B Lacrosse League regular season, and the Niagara Thunderhawks have the early bragging rights over their regional rivals.
The Thunderhawks defeated both the St. Catharines Spartans and Welland Generals, after dropping their season opener to the Elora Mohawks.
Tuesday night’s win over Welland, in Virgil, was particularly impressive as Niagara outscored the Generals 11-0 over the final 31 minutes in a 14-10 final.
Chris Weier, Zach Luis and Reid Lowe all scored twice for Niagara, 2-1, while Kent BakerPrintup, Saul Vanderzalm, Aidan Buis, Connor Watson, Matt Mines, Malcolm Vanderzalm and Nolan Fehr added singles.
Weier finished the game with six points, Luis five and Buis three.
The Thunderhawks also stopped the St. Catharines Spartans 10-9 Sunday night at home.
Luis had the hat trick for Niagara, Saul Vanderzalm and Weier scored twice, Mines, Kellen Pulera and Brandon Sveda added singles as the T’Hawks went 3-for-5 on the power play.
The Thunderhawks opened their season with a hard-fought 11-8 loss to the still undefeated Mohawks, 5-0.
Luis scored four goals, Saul Vanderzalm two, and Weier and Pulera one each.
Generals edge Spartans
The Welland Generals, 1-4, picked up their first win of the season Friday night in Merritton, defeating the St. Catharines Spartans 10-7.
Tanner Main scored five goals, Mitchell Geoffroy added a pair, while Talon Badawey, Bailey Fournier-Higgins and Jesse Schoeman chipped in with singles.
Fournier-Higgins finished the game with four points, Badawey with three.
Tuesday night in Virgil, Badawey had the hat trick and two helpers to pace the Generals while Geoffroy scored twice.
Nick Villella, Justin Porga, Marshall Stevens, Brock Parker and Fournier-Higgins also scored
for Welland.
The Generals dropped a 15-13 overtime decision to the Guelph Regals Sunday night at home.
Villela and Badawey both recorded hat tricks and seven-point games for Welland. FournierHiggins had one goal and six helpers, while Geoffroy and Peter Hrynuik scored twice, Gavin McGregor and Max Brook once.
Welland outshot Guelph 70-62 in the loss.
St. Kitts still winless
The St. Catharines Spartans, 0-3, have had a tough start to their 2018 campaign.
In their 10-7 loss to the Generals Friday night at home, rookie Alex Gaston led the way with one goal and four assists. Former Welland General Sam LeClair added a goal and three helpers, while Tyler Kolodka scored twice and had three points.
Adam Kirchmayer, Peyton McIntosh and Connor Aquanno also scored for the Spartans.
Sunday night in Virgil, Kolodka registered a five-point game, two goals and three helpers, Gaston one goal and four assists, while Aquanno added two goals and two helpers.
Carter Geoffroy, Daniel Kennedy, LeClair, and McIntosh also found the back of the net as St. Catharines went 0-for-4 on the power play.