Special Teams Come Up Big In Merchants Victory

Written by Gary Groob  - All Lacrosse All The Time

The Brooklin Merchants (3-1) visited the Ennismore James Gang (0-4) in Ontario Series Lacrosse action at the Robert E. Young Recreational Complex Tuesday evening. 

The Brooklin Merchants have been led by Eddie Renaud (7g,9a), Parker Pipher (5g,7a) and Devin Pipher (6g,4a).  For Ennismore, Aaron Bradshaw (2g,3a), Holden Lowes (2g,2a) and Nick Andreoli (2g,2a) have been the leaders early on in the season.

The goalie match-up had Deacan Knott in net for the Merchants facing Drew Hutchison in net for Ennismore. 

A game that was more competitive than the score dictated, the Brooklin Merchants won decisively 18-4.  Led by Eddie Renaud (3g,4a), Kellen Pulera (2g,3a), Christian Watts (3g,2a) and Parker Pipher (2g,1a),  Brooklin jumped out to a 5-2 first period lead, never looking back.  The James Gang had Dustyn Birkhof (2g,0a), Lydon Vanderlinde (1g,0a) and Brandon Johnson (1g,1a) convert in this game.  

As the game wore on the veteran Merchants team was able to pull further away with 7-1, and 6-1 periods respectively.  While lopsided, the game did show the potential the young group from Ennismore had.  

To The Game:

Ennismore got on the board quickly when Dustin Birkhof converted an Aaron Bradshaw pass just 0:53 seconds into the game.  The Merchants answered on the power-play when Christian Watts finished an Eddie Renaud pass at 10:29.  Lydon Vanderlinde gave the James Gang the lead once again wiring a Brandon Johnson pass past Deacan Knott at 15:06.

Brooklin then exploded for four goals in 2:11 to break the game open.

Parker Pipher blasted an Eddie Renaud feed at 16:06, followed by Renaud himself converting a Parker Pipher feed 0:17 seconds later.  Ben MacDonnell got on the scoresheet when he finished a Justin Bragg pass in transition at 17:52, followed by Darren Elliott converting a Christian Watts pass at 18:34.

After one period, Brooklin 5 Ennismore 2.

Second Period:

The Merchants kept the onslaught going with six more unanswered goals to start the second period. 

John Wheller scored off an Adam Smellie pass at 4:46, followed by Kellen Pulera with the next two.  The first goal was a converted Christian Watts pass at 5:17, followed by a power-play marker off a Devon Pipher pass at 7:15.  Christian Watts added another power-play talley just 0:14 seconds later off an Eddie Renaud feed.

Ben MacDonnell got his second of the game converting a Cody Hamley pass at 12:20, followed by a shorthanded talley by John Wheller in transition off a Kellen Pulera pass at 16:09.

Dustyn Birkhof stopped the ten goal run scoring of an Adam Churchill feed at 17:02, but the Merchants added one more before the end of the period with Eddie Renaud scoring at 19:18.

After two periods, Brooklin 12 Ennismore 3.

Third Period:

Brooklin again dominated this period with special teams.

Christian Watts scored on the power-play off a Devon Pipher feed at 1:36, followed by Cody Hamley's second of the game unassisted at 5:36.

Ciaron Costello got on the board shorthanded finishing a Ben MacDonnell pass at 6:35, followed by MacDonnell himself also scoring shorthanded off a Deacan Knott long lead pass at 8:54.  Parker Pipher scored his second of the game converting a Ben MacDonnell pass at 10:35.

Ennismore got on the board once more in this affair with Brandon Johnson blasting a Justin Warner pass at 11:20, but Eddie Renaud answered with his fourth of the game off a Deacan Knott pass at 12:53.

Final score, Brooklin 18 Ennismore 4.

The Three Stars:

1. Eddie Renaud 
2. Ben MacDonnell 
3. Deacan Knott