Hunters back to the finals
Courtesy Kahnawake Junior B Hunters
The Kahnawake Junior B Hunters continued their quest for playoff redemption by reaching the Ontario Junior B Lacrosse League (OJBLL) finals for the second straight year, winning 13-8 on Wednesday night against the Akwesasne Thunder, completing the three-game sweep.
“It’s real awesome. We’re going to go there and win it this time,” said Hunters’ team owner Derek Stacey.
The first game of the series, last Friday at the Sports Complex, looked like it would be one more win against a higher seed for the Thunder. They controlled possession, prevented the Hunters from setting up in the offensive zone, and kept pressuring the ball throughout. Backed by the superb goaltending of Xavier Delormier, it looked as though the Hunters would be their next victims, going up 3-0 midway through the first period.
There was no quit in the Hunters, though, with their own strong goaltending from Kasey Lahache limiting the damage from Akwesasne’s offensive pressure early, and the offense contributing twice to make it 3-2 after one, both goals coming from Hawi Francis, his 11th and 12th of the playoffs.
The Hunters were on the backfoot early in the second, with the Thunder scoring twice in 70 seconds to open the period up 5-2. The Hunters made it 5-4 thanks to Winter Rivera and Kaymen Diabo, before Akwesasne closed the period with another goal to be up 6-4 after two.
Francis scored his third of the game 90 seconds into the third period, and Brett Bucktooth Jr. scored his second of the playoffs to tie the game at six midway through the third period. Hunter Thompson (5) and Bleyton Hopps Thompson (4) restored the two-goal lead, and with the way Akwesasne’s defense and goaltending had been playing, it seemed like a big ask to put three on the board.
But the Hunters did just that, with Connor Gorman scoring and Deeland Martin sending the game to overtime.
That first overtime solved nothing, and the Hunters took a penalty, but Owen Rice won it for the Hunters a man down in double overtime.
“It was stressful for sure,” said Stacy of double overtime.
He praised the work of the penalty killers in overtime.
“They held the fort, and they gave us the opportunity to score, and we did,” said Stacey.
To him, that overtime win killed the Thunder’s momentum.
“After a game like that, that’s a backbreaker,” said Stacey.
The two other games in the series were straightforward wins for the Hunters, 9-4 in Akwesasne Sunday and 13-8 Wednesday in front of the hometown crowd.
“It’s a whole team effort that got the job done,” said Stacey.
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He does not expect that effort to change in the finals against either the Orangeville Northmen or the Elora Hawks in what would be a rematch from last year.
“A lot of the guys want that. They want redemption. But whatever it is, we’ll prepare the same way we’ve been preparing all season, and we’re just going to take it as it comes,” said Stacey.
The Northmen are currently up two games to one against the Hawks, with the potential series-deciding game four being played tonight, Friday, at 8 p.m. at the Elora Community Centre.
