Merchants Firing On All Cylinders Heading Into The Playoffs

Written by Gary Groob  - All Lacrosse All The Time

The Brooklin Merchants (14-2) visited the Clearview Crushers (3-11-1) in Ontario Series Lacrosse action, at the Stayner Arena in Stayner, Ontario. 

These two teams always play each other tough.  Two one goal losses to the Merchants have the Crushers on the outside looking in, sitting just behind Owen Sound in the Standings.  For Brooklin, second place is theirs since the Rivermen won earlier in the day, but want to go into the playoffs on a winning note.

The goaltending match-up had Lucas Coote in net for Brooklin facing Jackson Hainer in net for Clearview. 

A close game for two periods had Clearview down by just two heading into the third period.  Christian Watts (5-1) was the big sniper to this point with five of the seven Merchants goals.  Nile Cyr (2-0) had two for the Crushers to that point. 

In the third, Brooklin stepped it up scoring eight times to win handily.  Darren Elliott (2g,2a) and Zac Carrigan (2g,3a) had a pair each in the period for the Merchants.  Brooklin wins 15-8.

To The Game:

The Crushers got on the board first when Nile Cyr converted an Angus Rawding pass at 3:14, followed by Spencer Andrews blasting a Graham Bergsma feed at 5:32.

Brooklin came back with a pair of goals from Christian Watts.  The first was off a Darren Elliott pass at 13:40, followed by a laser unassisted just 0:09 seconds later.

Scott Edwards put Clearview up once again with a low to high shot off a Nick Nigro pass at 19:06.

After one period, Clearview 3 Brooklin 2.

Second Period:

The Merchants opened the second period scoring with Kellen Pulera firing a laser to the far corner off a Zac Carrigan pass at 2:02, followed by Christian Watts with his third of the game off a Parker Pipher pass 0:21 seconds later.

Nile Cyr scored his second of the game for the Crushers to tie the game once again at 6:23, but again Christian Watts answered with a low to low laser off a Cody Hamley pass at 8:23.

Jake Dithurbide tied the game again for Clearview in transition unassisted at 8:30, but Brooklin answered with two quick goals.  Watts added his fifth of the game off a Cole Tucker pass at 14:19, followed by Robert Morgan with a blast off a Darren Elliott feed at 16:16.

After two periods, Brooklin 7 Clearview 5.

Third Period:

The Crushers got rolling quickly with Jay Lanigan scoring off an Angus Rawding pass at 0:36 seconds, but Zac Carrigan answered for Brooklin with a blast from in front off a Cole Tucker pass at 0:58 seconds. Darren Elliott added another quick strike off a Christian Watts pass 0:22 seconds later. 

Lanigan again notched another marker off a Braydon Hickey pass at 1:46, but Ciaron Costello responded in transition unassisted at 5:06.

Darren Elliott gave the Merchants some breathing room, followed by Kellen Pulera with a blast off a Parker Pipher pass at 7:25.

Parker Pipher then added another Merchants goal from the outside off a Kellen Pulera pass at 8:42, followed by Zac Carrigan firing a laser from in close off a Cole Tucker pass at 10:22.

Jake Dithurbide got one more for the Crushers off a Graham Bergsma pass at 15:13, but Cole Tucker converted a Parker Pipher pass at 19:18 to put an exclamation point on the game.

Final score, Brooklin 15 Clearview 8.

The Three Stars:

1. Christian Watts 
2. Kellen Pulera 
3. Zac Carrigan