Merchants Move on to the Ontario Series Lacrosse Finals

By Mark Stehlin

Next up for the Merchants is a date with either Six Nations or Hamilton for the right to hoist the Clare Levack Trophy as Ontario champions in Sr B lacrosse. The team has won it twice before, their inaugural season in 2000 and more recently in 2016. As a way to celebrate their 25th anniversary season, they continue to strive for success at the next level. Their first-round opponents in this year’s playoffs were the Owen Sound NorthStars who they defeated three straight, last night by a final score of 14-7. The Six Nations Rivermen staved off elimination against Hamilton with a 9-5 win to close the gap in that series to 2-1 in favour of the Bengals. Game four goes Saturday in Hamilton.

In last night’s game at Iroquois Park Sports Centre, where the Ontario Lacrosse Festival has taken over, the Merchants fell behind early as Wyatt Barfoot scored three minutes into the game. With no fear for their fans, the hosts reeled off five straight to end that period with a 5-1 lead going into the break.

The middle frame told a very different tale as the visitors found a new gear. The Merchants were mired in penalty trouble in the second period. Their guests took advantage of that opportunity with two power-play markers to win that period 4-1 leaving the Merchants with a slim 6-5 lead after two periods. A short-handed marker with 0:38 on the clock from Parker Pipher propelled the home side into what would be a great third period.

It was Pipher again on the power play this time to lead off a four-goal unanswered run in the final frame. With Robert Morgan in the sin bin for a five-minute major, Liam Osborne and Pipher each scored on the man-down, Osborne with his third of the game and Pipher with his fifth to seal the 14-7 win and a date and an dance partner in the finals awaits.

"Yes, last night was a great win and it met our expectations. We had a number of goals this season that included finishing first overall and winning playoff rounds, we can now add a checkmark to those two," said head coach Ryan Degerdon.

"The game started off as we planned with the big lead after one. Lacrosse can be a game of runs and we saw that last night when Owen Sound took it to us in the second. I called a time-out to remind the boys to relax and just breathe. I wasn't upset and knew we would get back on track which we did in the third. Now we wait for our opponent, and no it doesn't matter who that is, we will practice this week and be ready for whichever team comes out of the other semi-final. Right now, we are happy but not satisfied, we have more to achieve as a team" added Degerdon.

Scoring – Osborne (3,0) Duncan (0,2) Renaud (0,3) Carrigan (1,3) Simard (0,1) McCrory (0,1) Elliott (3,2) D Pipher (1,3) Pullera (1,0) Robertson (0,3) Tucker (0,1) P Pipher (5,2)