Merchants Send Message To League With Lopsided Victory

by Gary Groob

The Brooklin Merchants (3-0) traveled east to face the Belleville Kodiaks (0-4) at the Wally Dever Arena in Belleville, Ontario. 

The goaltending match-up had Ethan Harwood in net for Brooklin facing Jackson Hainer in net for the Kodiaks.


To The Game: The Merchants got rolling early with Robbie Baxter scoring off a Parker Pipher feed at 1:57, followed by Owen Tapper finishing a Jack Oldman pass just 0:06 seconds later. The early onslaught continued when Zach Miller increased the lead off a Parker Pipher pass at 4:19, followed by Shane Halliwell with a low to low blast at 8:36. Robbie Baxter then added his second of the period off a Parker Pipher feed at 9:30 for a 5-0 lead. Braden Smith scored on the power-play for Belleville off a Cam Milligan pass at 12:14, but a natural hat-trick from Andrew Dalton in the span of 4:03 had Brooklin with a stranglehold of the game. The Kodiaks replaced Jackson Hainer with Gavin Williamson in net. Nolan Downey got one back for the Kodiaks off a Koichi Nakamura feed at 16:35, but a buzzer beater from Owen Tapper with 0:01 second remaining stopped any momentum Belleville was building. After one period, Brooklin 9 Belleville 2. Second Period: Brooklin continued what they started in the first with Carson Christie finishing a Parker Pipher feed at 0:49 seconds, followed by Owen Tapper with a howitzer off a Jack Oldman pass at 1:08. Cam Milligan scored a beauty from in close off a Sebastian Reynolds pass at 3:00, but a pair of shorthanded goals from Zach Miller, and Landen Sinfield had the Merchants in co trol at 8:16. Zach Miller continued the Merchants attack scoring with a sidearm snipe off a Robbie Baxter pass at 12:36, followed by Quinn Hyland scoring just 0:12 seconds later off a Landon Sinfield pass. Gavin Williamson was replaced in the Kodiaks net with Jackson Hainer. Nolan Downey got on the board with a low blast off a Cam Milligan pass at 13:25, but Shane Halliwell replied for Brooklin with a high to high shot off a Jack Oldman pass just 0:15 seconds later. Zach Thompson scored again for Belleville off a Milligan feed, four goals in 1:30 from the Merchants put control in their hands. After two periods, Brooklin 20 Belleville 5. Third Period: Gavin Williamson went back in the net for Belleville to start the third period. Landon Sinfield and Robbie Baxter scored early for the Merchamts, before they shut it down going into defensive mode. Nolan Rutty was able to score in transition for the Kodiaks off a Braden Smith pass at 7:32, followed by a power-play marker from Sebastian Reynolds off a Zach Thompson pass at 13:06. Final score, Brooklin 22 Belleville 7. A couple of smooth paragraph synopsis please 

The Brooklin Merchants wasted no time asserting themselves, unleashing an offensive avalanche from the opening faceoff in a dominant 22-7 victory over Belleville. Brooklin exploded for nine first-period goals, with Robbie Baxter and Owen Tapper leading the early charge while Parker Pipher orchestrated much of the attack with multiple helpers. Andrew Dalton then put the game further out of reach with a natural hat trick in just over four minutes as the Merchants overwhelmed the Kodiaks at both ends of the floor. Belleville struggled to slow the momentum and was forced into an early goaltending change as Brooklin rolled to a commanding 9-2 lead after twenty minutes.

The pressure never eased in the middle frame as Brooklin continued pouring on goals from every part of the lineup. Tapper, Zach Miller, Landon Sinfield, Shane Halliwell, and Quinn Hyland all contributed during another explosive period, while a pair of shorthanded goals highlighted just how complete the Merchants' performance was. Despite efforts from Cam Milligan, Nolan Downey, and the Kodiaks attack to generate some offense, Belleville simply had no answer for the relentless pace. Brooklin shifted into a more controlled defensive approach in the third period, but the damage had long been done as they cruised to a decisive 22-7 win.

To The Game:

The Merchants got rolling early with Robbie Baxter scoring off a Parker Pipher feed at 1:57, followed by Owen Tapper finishing a Jack Oldman pass just 0:06 seconds later.

The early onslaught continued when Zach Miller increased the lead off a Parker Pipher pass at 4:19, followed by Shane Halliwell with a low to low blast at 8:36.  Robbie Baxter then added his second of the period off a Parker Pipher feed at 9:30 for a 5-0 lead.

Braden Smith scored on the power-play for Belleville off a Cam Milligan pass at 12:14, but a natural hat-trick from Andrew Dalton in the span of 4:03 had Brooklin with a stranglehold of the game. 

The Kodiaks replaced Jackson Hainer with Gavin Williamson in net.

Nolan Downey got one back for the Kodiaks off a Koichi Nakamura feed at 16:35, but a buzzer beater from Owen Tapper with 0:01 second remaining stopped any momentum Belleville was building. 

After one period, Brooklin 9 Belleville 2.

Second Period:

Brooklin continued what they started in the first with Carson Christie finishing a Parker Pipher feed at 0:49 seconds, followed by Owen Tapper with a howitzer off a Jack Oldman pass at 1:08.

Cam Milligan scored a beauty from in close off a Sebastian Reynolds pass at 3:00, but a pair of shorthanded goals from Zach Miller, and Landen Sinfield had the Merchants in co trol at 8:16.

Zach Miller continued the Merchants attack scoring with a sidearm snipe off a Robbie Baxter pass at 12:36, followed by Quinn Hyland scoring just 0:12 seconds later off a Landon Sinfield pass. 

Gavin Williamson was replaced in the Kodiaks net with Jackson Hainer. 

Nolan Downey got on the board with a low blast off a Cam Milligan pass at 13:25, but Shane Halliwell replied for Brooklin with a high to high shot off a Jack Oldman pass just 0:15 seconds later.

Zach Thompson scored again for Belleville off a Milligan feed, four goals in 1:30 from the Merchants put control in their hands.

After two periods, Brooklin 20 Belleville 5.

Third Period:

Gavin Williamson went back in the net for Belleville to start the third period. 

Landon Sinfield and Robbie Baxter scored early for the Merchamts, before they shut it down going into defensive mode.

Nolan Rutty was able to score in transition for the Kodiaks off a Braden Smith pass at 7:32, followed by a power-play marker from Sebastian Reynolds off a Zach Thompson pass at 13:06.

Final score, Brooklin 22 Belleville 7.

The Three Stars:

1. Jack Oldman
2. Andrew Dalton 
3. Robbie Baxter