Sinfield Pots Six As Merchants Tie Series With Dominant Win

By Gary Groob 

The Owen Sound NorthStars traveled east to face the Brooklin Merchants in game two of their Ontario Series Lacrosse semifinals Tuesday evening at the Iroquois Park Sports Centre in Whitby, Ontario. 

The goaltending match-up had Calum Leaver-Preyra in net for Owen Sound facing Thomas Kiazyk in net for the Merchants. 

The Brooklin Merchants evened their Ontario Series Lacrosse semifinal with a dominant 14-5 victory over the Owen Sound NorthStars Tuesday night at the Iroquois Park Sports Centre in Whitby. After Owen Sound opened the scoring, Brooklin responded with five of the next six goals to seize control of the contest, taking a 5-2 lead after the opening period. Landen Sinfield paced the early attack with a pair of first-period markers, while Carson Christie, Zac Carrigan, and Quinn Hyland also found the scoresheet. Brooklin continued to dictate the pace in the second period, stretching the advantage to 10-5 heading into the final frame behind multi-goal efforts from Sinfield, Ryan Langille, and Christie.

The third period belonged entirely to the Merchants, who shut out the NorthStars while adding four more goals to complete the convincing win. Sinfield delivered one of the most dominant individual performances of the postseason, erupting for six goals, while Langille recorded a hat trick and Christie added a pair. Lucas Littlejohn quietly orchestrated the offence with eight assists and a goal, while goaltender Thomas Kiazyk turned aside all but five of Owen Sound's 22 shots. Brooklin also controlled possession throughout the night, outshooting the NorthStars 45-22 to knot the best-of-five series at one game apiece.

To The Game:

The NorthStars got on the board first with Michael Blaymires converting a Jake McNabb pass from distance at 2:28, but Zac Carrigan with a great move towards the net tied the game off a Landen Sinfield pass 22 seconds later.

The Merchants took their first lead of the game with Carson Christie finishing an Owen Wills feed at 4:18, followed by Landen Sinfield with a blast off a Lucas Littlejohn pass at 5:34.

Riley Thompson got Owen Sound within one with a low to low shot off a Jake McNabb pass at 11:44, but Quinn Hyland got it back in transition converting a long lead pass from Thomas Kiazyk at 13:47.  Sinfield then added to the total with a blast off a Max Macpherson pass at 19:15.

After one period, Brooklin 5 Owen Sound 2.
Shots on goal favored the Merchants 23-12.

Second Period:

Owen Sound opened the second period scoring with a blast from Cohen Jennings off a Jake McNabb pass at 4:22, but Ryan Langille replied with a sidearm snipe off a Landen Sinfield pass at 11:03.  

Carson Christie scored his second of the game with a low to low bounced shot off a Langille feed at 13:24, but Dawson McKenzie kept the NorthStars close with a sidearm snipe to the corner off a Jake McNabb pass at 14:24.

Ryan Langille scored his second of the game converting a Lucas Littlejohn pass at 14:24, followed by Sinfield with his third of the game off a Langille feed at 17:31.

Owen Sound answered with Jordan McMillen scoring in transition unassisted at 19:40, but a buzzer beater from Sinfield off a Lucas Littlejohn pass at 19:59 kept the lead at five.

After two periods, Brooklin 10 Owen Sound 5.
Shots on goal favored the Merchants 15-7.

Third Period:

Landen Sinfield kept up his hot night to open the third period scoring his fifth of the night with a blast to the corner off a Lucas Littlejohn pass at 34 seconds, followed by Littlejohn himself with a low bounced shot off a Zac Carrigan feed at 5:18.

Sinfield added his sixth of the game from the outside with a blast off an Owen Tapper pass at 7:52, followed by Ryan Langille with his third of the game converting a Carter Page feed at 11:50.

Final score, Brooklin 14 Owen Sound 5.
Shots on goal favored the Merchants 7-3, for a game total of 45-22 in favor of Brooklin. 

The Three Stars:

1. Landen Sinfield 
2. Lucas Littlejohn 
3.  Ryan Langille 

The series is tied 1-1 with game three on Saturday night at the Iroquois Park Sports Centre.  Game Time is 7:30 pm.