T’Hawks, Spartans pushed to brink of elimination
Lopsided losses on their home floors have pushed the Niagara Thunderhawks and St. Catharines Spartans to the brink of elimination in the junior B lacrosse playoffs.
The second-seeded Elora Mohawks can sweep their best-offive, opening-round series against the No. 7 seed Thunderhawks with a victory Wednesday night in Elora.
And the Six Nations Rebels, the top seed in the Western Conference playoffs, can send the eighth-seeded Spartans to the sidelines and advance to the second round as early as Friday night, when Six Nations hosts Game 3 in Hagersville.
Elora scored 12 answered goals, including two on the power play and one shorthanded, on the way to a 13-1 victory Sunday afternoon at Meridian Credit Union Arena in Virgil.
After Niagara’s Chris Weier tied the game at one-all 3:07 into the first period, Mohawks goaltender Landon Kells shut out the Thunderhawks the rest of the way for the win.
Kells made 36 saves backstopping his team to a 15-7 victory in the series opener Friday night in Elora.
A T’Hawks victory Wednesday night sets the stage for a fourth game 8 p.m. Friday in Virgil.
Game 5, if necessary, would be played Monday in Elora, also starting at 8 p.m.
Six Nations took a 2-0 series lead with a 9-6 victory over the Spartans Sunday night at Merritton Centennial Arena. John Kit, Adam Kirchmayer, Jacob McMillan, Trent Jackson, Connor Aquanno and Aaron Ward scored for St. Catharines.
Six Nations won Game 1 of the series with a 10-2 victory Friday night at Iroquois Lacrosse Arena in Hagersville.
If a fourth and fifth game in the Rebels-Spartans series are necessary, they would be played 7 p.m. Saturday at St. Catharines and 8 p.m. Monday in Hagersville.
Six Nations went 2-0-1 versus the division rival Spartans during the regular season play, while the Thunderhawks lost their only game to Elora interconference action this season.
Niagara, 10-10 in league play; and St. Catharines, 7-12-1; are both back in the playoffs after missing post-season play last year.
The Rebels, who finished the regular season with an 18-1-1 record, best in Ontario junior B lacrosse, are seeking their sixth league championship in eight years and first since 2015.