Thriller puts Hunters ahead of Knights

Following two exciting home wins, the Kahnawake Junior C Hunters are just one win away from making it to the East finals of the Ontario Junior C Lacrosse League (OJCLL), in just the program’s second year of existence.

Game four, which would either clinch the series for Kahnawake or tie it 2-2, will have been played on Thursday night in Nepean against the Knights, after The Eastern Door’s publishing deadline.

Game three was originally supposed to have been played Monday, but problems with the arena in Nepean forced the game to be postponed.

It would have been difficult to predict the Hunters would be in this position after watching the first period of game three, where many of their mistakes made it into the back of their net, resulting in a five-goal deficit on three different occasions during the first half of the game.

Turnovers, bad passes, lax defensive coverage, and an inability to get sustained offensive pressure led to a 6-1 deficit after the first 20 minutes.

“We were a little lazy coming out,” said Hunters’ defender Raniatarine Martin of the team’s difficult first period.

In the second, down 7-2, the Hunters started their comeback. Stone McGregor made it 7-3, Arahkwenhawe Two-Axe 7-4, Sebastien Laughing 7-5, and Dash Diabo 7-6. With each goal, the crowd at the Sports Complex got louder and louder, until Laughing’s game-tying goal one minute into the third period threatened to blow the roof off the arena.

When Martin gave the Hunters an 8-7 lead at 16:34, the crowd became deafening.

“I felt so pumped up, and it feels amazing to pump up the crowd and see the community up and roar like that,” said Martin.

The Hunters were not in the clear just yet, though. Nepean tied the game at eight at 15:50, and then again at 10 with 10 minutes left to go in the third, following goals from Two-Axe and Tehorahkwaneken Albany.

What followed was a tense final half-period, with the Hunters surviving a penalty kill and a penalty shot to keep the game tied.

With four minutes left, Logan Gabriel sent a shot past goaltender Logan Crane, scoring the game-winner as the Hunters survived the final four minutes.

“It feels awesome. The vibes are high, they’re off the charts, because we were down 6-1 and then we came back with all kinds of grit and heart. It just feels amazing to come out with a win,” said Martin.

“Obviously, it feels really good after what our first period was. I’m happy we were able to crack it. Our team finally came to play,” said Hunters’ head coach Eric Jacobs.

The game three win, and the 10-8 win on July 3, have been confidence builders for the Hunters, said Jacobs.

“We can play with these guys,” said Jacobs.

To win the series, the Hunters will have to play a full 60 minutes, he said.

“Sixty minutes, no penalties. Continue what we’ve done today, work as a team, from start to finish.”

Turning the heat up

The games between the Hunters and the Knights have been heated, both because of the temperatures felt inside the arenas and the tensions between the two teams.

“The past two days have been crazy, especially today,” said Stone McGregor following game two, where temperatures were in the 30s even without the humidity factor.

“It is quite a lot on us, but we managed to play through it. We’re used to it. We practiced in it, so we know how it’s supposed to be.”

Jacobs said the team has encouraged those who do not have jobs outdoors to stay in the shade and stay hydrated before games.

“If you have to be outside for work, keep drinking lots of water,” said Jacobs.

The games have been chippy, as box lacrosse often is, and as the referees have mostly let the players play, that has not necessarily cooled down the feelings of the players after cross checks, body checks, or contacts with goaltenders.

“We can’t get it in our heads mid-game, and everyone gets frustrated, especially because of the heat. When everyone’s exhausted, that’s when the worst comes out of everyone, and everyone gets mad,” said forward Dash Diabo.

He said taking a moment on the bench between shifts helps him keep his cool.

“Just taking a minute by yourself in the back, just take a deep breath, cool off, take a drink of water, and then just keep telling yourself, ‘let’s go, you got this, let’s get the next one, get the next play, don’t worry about the last one, just keep getting the next one,” said Diabo.

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