Merchants Dominate En Route To Championship

The Six Nations Rivermen (3-4) traveled east to face the Brooklin Merchants (5-0) in game two of the best of three Ontario Series Lacrosse finals, at the Iroquois Park Sports Centre in Whitby, Ontario, Saturday afternoon.  Brooklin won game one 11-3 and were looking to close out the series.

The goaltending match-up had Tye Belanger in net for the Rivermen facing Deacan Knott in net for Brooklin. 

A spirited first period saw Brooklin jump out to a 2-0 lead before Jordan Goddard got the Rivermen on the board.   The period was quite physical with five penalties called, four of which went against Six Nations.  After one it was 3-1 for the Merchants.

A more disciplined period in the second, but still the Merchants controlled the tempo.  Brooklin scored three more in the period to take a commanding 6-1 lead into the third period. 

The Merchants played a very calculated third period.  Strong defense, not letting themselves get caught out of position.  Six Nations tried to mount some offense, but the Brooklin defense, and goaltending of Deacan Knott was just too much in this game.  

A few times the game looked like it was going to breakdown with tempers getting heated on the Six Nations side.  The Merchants pulled back, playing it smart, not getting involved.  Brooklin took advantage scoring four times on the power-play in the frame.

Brooklin wins 11-3, and is the Ontario Series Lacrosse Champions for 2025.

To The Game:

The Merchants got on the board first with a pair of Parker Pipher goals.  The first was off a Zac Carrigan feed at 2:18, followed by an outside blast off an Alex Marinier pass at 5:14.

The Rivermen got on the board with a low to low shot to the glove side from Jordan Goddard off a Greg Elijah-Brown pass at 13:53, but Brooklin answered when Alex Marinier finished an Eddie Renaud pass at 15:36.

After one period, Brooklin 3 Six Nations 1.

Second Period:

Alex Marinier got Brooklin on the board in the second on the power-play with a sidearm snipe to the corner off a Parker Pipher pass at 10:27, followed by Matt Duncan with a laser to the corner off a Liam Osborne pass at 18:52.  Osborne himself then scored from in close while shorthanded unassisted at 19:50.

After two periods, Brooklin 6 Six Nations 1.

Third Period:

The Merchants added to their lead when Devon Pipher scored on the power-play off an Alex Marinier pass at 8:21, followed by Eddie Renaud also on the power-play off a Devon Pipher pass at 9:56.  Zac Carrigan added yet another power-play marker off a Will MacLeod feed at 10:26.

As things got rougher, Brooklin replaced Deacan Knott with Lucas Coote in net. 

The Merchants continued to make the Rivermen pay for penalties, adding yet another power-play goal when Zac Carrigan again converted a Will MacLeod pass 0:12 seconds later.

Six Nations finally got on the board again when Davin Bomberry scored from in close off a Ross Hill pass at 12:45, but Robert Morgan answered in transition just 0:11 seconds later to stop the Rivermen's momentum. 

Six Nations kept pressing with Danton Miller beating Lucas Coote to the glove side off a Kevin Owen-Hill pass on the power-play at 16:55, but Brooklin had the game well in hand.

Final score, Brooklin 11 Six Nations 3.

The Three Stars:

1. Parker Pipher 
2. Alex Marinier 
3. Zac Carrigan 

The Brooklin Merchants are the 2025 Ontario Series Lacrosse Champions!