Langille’s Overtime Winner Lifts Merchants Past Rivermen, Forces Deciding Game 5

Photo courtesy of Andrew VanEvery

By Gary Groob 

The Six Nations Rivermen traveled east to face the Brooklin Merchants for game four of the best-of-five Ontario Series Lacrosse (OSL) final at the Iroquois Park Sports Centre in Whitby, Ontario.  

The goaltending match-up had Thomas Kiazyk in net for Brooklin facing Cam Dunkerley in net for the Rivermen. 

The Brooklin Merchants and Six Nations Rivermen traded momentum throughout a thrilling Game 4 of the Ontario Series Lacrosse final at Iroquois Park Sports Centre. Jackson Webster opened the scoring for Six Nations, but two goals from Parker Pipher and a Landen Sinfield marker helped Brooklin earn a 3–3 tie after the opening period. The end-to-end action continued in the second, with Max Macpherson and Anahalihs Doxtator exchanging goals before Zac Carrigan and Robbie Baxter struck 26 seconds apart to send the Merchants into the intermission with a 6–4 advantage.

Baxter extended Brooklin’s lead early in the third, but Ryden Bomberry scored twice and Thunder Hill added another as the Rivermen erased the deficit and pulled even. Carter Page restored the Merchants’ lead before Braedon Saris tied the game on a four-on-four play, forcing overtime with the score deadlocked at 8–8. Thomas Kiazyk made three spectacular game-saving stops in the extra period before Ryan Langille found the corner off a Page feed at 8:02, giving Brooklin a dramatic 9–8 victory and tying the best-of-five series 2–2.

To The Game:

The Rivermen got on the board first with Jackson Webster finishing a Braedon Saris pass from in front at 2:14, but Parker Pipher replied with a shot to the shortside off a Landen Sinfield pass at 5:41.

Ryden Bomberry restored the Six Nations lead with a bounced shot off a Tyler Brown pass at 6:50, but again Parker Pipher answered with a bounced shot to the far corner off a Broden Shae feed at 7:58.

Landen Sinfield gave the Merchants their first lead of the night with an outside blast off a Robbie Baxter pass at 11:06, but the Rivermen knotted the game with a low laser from Chaz Hill off a David Peterkin feed at 16:02.

After one period, Brooklin 3, Six Nations 3.
Shots on goal favored the Merchants 16-14.

Second Period:

After over half a period of heart-stopping end-to-end action, Max Macpherson got the Merchants on the board with a blast from in close unassisted at 11:26, but Anahalihs Doxtator evened the score with a low laser off a Jonathan Gagliardi pass 9 seconds later.

Zac Carrigan regained the Brooklin lead with a blast off a Carson Christie feed at 15:04, followed by Robbie Baxter with a bounced shot diving across the crease off a Carter Page pass 26 seconds later. 

After two periods, Brooklin 6, Six Nations 4.
Shots on goal favored the Rivermen 19-13.

Third Period:

Robbie Baxter extended the Merchants' lead with a great individual effort off a Landen Sinfield pass at 25 seconds, but Ryden Bomberry got it back with a blast off a Mitch VanEvery pass at 1:11.

Bomberry scored his third of the night from in close off a Braedon Saris feed at 3:39, followed by Thunder Hill with a low-to-high laser off a Chaz Hill pass at 4:09 to tie the game once again.

Carter Page got Brooklin back in front with a great individual effort, scoring from the top of the crease off a Zac Carrigan feed at 11:33, but on a four-on-four play, a high-to-low blast from Braedon Saris tied the game off a Tyler Brown pass at 17:21.

After regulation, Brooklin 8, Six Nations 8.
Shots on goal were tied 12-12.

Overtime:

In a heart-stopping period that had Thomas Kiazyk make three absolutely superb game-saving saves, Ryan Langille found the corner off a Carter Page feed at 8:02 to send the series to a fifth and deciding game.

Final score, Brooklin 9, Six Nations 8.
Shots favored Six Nations 7-6, for a game total of 52-47 in favor of the Rivermen. 

The Three Stars:

1. Thomas Kiazyk 
2. Ryden Bomberry 
3. Carter Page 

The series is now tied 2-2 with the deciding game five to be played Monday night at the Iroquois Lacrosse Arena in Haggersville, Ontario.  Game time is 8 p.m.