Rivermen Roll Past Bengals in Dominant Game One Victory

By Gary Groob 

The Hamilton Bengals traveled to face the Six Nations Rivermen in game one of the Ontario Series Lacrosse semifinals Saturday evening at the Iroquois Lacrosse Arena in Haggersville, Ontario.

The goaltending match-up had Aden Walsh in net for the Bengals facing Cam Dunkerley in net for the Rivermen. 

Six Nations wasted little time establishing control of the Ontario Series Lacrosse semifinal, using a dominant second period and an explosive third to defeat the Hamilton Bengals 14-5 in Game One Saturday night at the Iroquois Lacrosse Arena. After a tightly contested opening period that saw Braedon Saris score the lone goal, the Rivermen erupted for six goals in the second and seven more in the third to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five series.

Anderson and Thunder Hill led the offensive attack with four goals each, while Greg Elijah-Brown orchestrated the offense with a goal and four assists. Braedon Saris added two goals, and Cam Dunkerley was steady between the pipes as Six Nations controlled play from start to finish. Hamilton's offense was led by Nolan Marshall with three and Zach Terry with two goals, but the Bengals were unable to slow the Rivermen's relentless attack after the opening period.

To The Game:

After the majority of the period of scoreless play, the Six Nations got on the board first with Braedon Saris diving across the crease off a Greg Elijah-Brown pass at 13:38.

After one period, Six Nations 1 Hamilton 0.

Second Period:

The Rivermen came out on a mission in the second period with Thunder Hill firing a low to high shot off a Tyler Brown pass at 1:12, followed by David Anderson with a blast from the outside off a Mason Hill pass at 3:56.  Thunder Hill then added his second of the frame with a low laser to the corner off a Greg Elijah-Brown pass on the power-play at 6:25.

The Bengals finally got on the board on a broken play with Zach Terry going in all alone scoring unassisted at 7:03, but David Anderson replied with his second of the period with a sidearm snipe off a Anahalihs Doxtator feed at 7:57.

Hamilton kept fighting with Nolan Marshall converting a Jaden Patterson pass at 9:50, but Marahall Powless fired a bounced shot off an Elijah-Brown feed at 12:56.

Zach Terry kept the Bengals in the game with a low laser off a Tye Ingram pass at 15:36, but David Anderson replied with another rope from the outside off a Greg Elijah-Brown pass at 16:55.

Nolan Marshall kept Hamilton close with a great individual effort finishing a Neil McInroy feed at 17:30.

After two periods, Six Nations 7 Hamilton 4.

Third Period:

Six Nations kept the momentum going with Ryan Andrews scoring unassisted in transition at 4:59, followed by Braedon Saris with a bounced shot off a Marshall Powless pass at 7:14.

Thunder Hill hit his third of the game from in close off an Andrews feed at 7:22, followed by David Anderson with his fourth of the night off a Jackson Webster pass 21 seconds later. 

Nolan Marshall tried the keep the Bengals in the game with a high to high blast off a Curtis Ward pass at 9:37, but Thunder Hill's fourth of the game stopped the Bengals momentum at 9:59.  

Sam Haines replaced Aden Walsh in net for the Bengals. 

Brooker Muir then got in on the scoring in transition unassisted at 11:39, followed by Greg Elijah-Brown with an in close blast off a Marshall Powless pass at 13:15.

Final score, Six Nations 14 Hamilton 5.

The Three Stars:

1. David Anderson 
2. Thunder Hill 
3. Greg Elijah-Brown 

Six Nations leads the best of five semi-final series 1-0.