August 3, 2023 · 0 Comments
By Brian Lockhart
The Orangeville Junior B Northmen are done for the season after taking a 5-4 loss in game four of their best-of-five series against the Akwesasne Thunder at the Alder Street arena on Saturday, July 29.
The Northmen already won two playoff series after eliminating the Gloucester Griffins in three games in the first round, and dispatching the Halton Hills Bulldogs in a series that went five games.
The final series was for the Colby Hancock Memorial Trophy, with the winner going on to compete in the Ontario Junior B Lacrosse Championship.
Getting underway on July 22, on Akwesane home turf, game one of the series ended with a rare score of 1-0, after the Northmen scored the only goal of the game early in the first period.
Game two of the series was also on Thunder territory on July 23.
The Thunder heavily outscored the Northmen in all three periods for a 16-6 win to tie the series.
The series moved to Orangeville for game three on Friday, July 28.
Akwesasne went ahead 4-2 in the first period, but the Northmen tied it up early in the second frame. A one-goal lead at the end of the second and two more Thunder goals in the final period gave Akwesasne the win to put the pressure on the Northmen in game four, again at the Alder Street arena the following night.
The Northmen scored the only two goals in the first period, but those were matched by the Thunder in the second. Akwesasne took the lead with a single goal late in the period.
Both teams scored two in the final period, but the Northmen could not get the goal they needed to tie the game, and they had to settle for a 5-4 loss to end the season.
The Northmen had a good season finishing first in the South East division of the OJBLL with a 17-3 record and 34 points.
Overall they tied for third in the league standings.