Mohawks start season by topping defending champs
HAGERSVILLE – The Elora Mohawks kept the defending champion Six Nations Rebels scoreless for all but a minute and 41 seconds as they ran to a 10-3 victory in their Ontario Junior B Lacrosse League season opener Friday night at the Iroquois Lacrosse Arena.
Six Nations scored three consecutive goals in the 101-second span midway through the second period. However, the Mohawks had scored six times before that and four times after it.
Elora Mohawks 10 Six Nations 3
Elora led 5-0 at the end of the first period and 6-3 after the second.
Brett Harrison led the Mohawks with four goals and three assists, his four goals sandwiching the Six Nations goals. Owen Moore had a goal and four assists while Sam Dramnitzke had a goal and two assists. Jabe Verbeek scored twice and Nick Aitchison and Kyle Detweiller added single goals. Jayden Bushey had three assists while Tobias Wilson had two and Matt Allen had one.
Shako Swamp scored a pair of goals for Six Nations and Shendon Smith had the other goal. Single assists went to Tayton Skye, Riley Beniot, goaltender Cal Hill, Dalton Thomas and Ike Whitlow.
The Mohawks outshot the Rebels 48-36 and went 2-for-7 on their power play while holding Six Nations scoreless on three power plays. The Mohawks also had a shorthanded goal.
Sam Hadley had 33 saves to get the win in net for Elora while Hill had 38 saves for Six Nations.
The game was the first in league play for the Mohawks since they were ousted from the West Conference semifinals with a 9-5 loss to the Hamilton Bengals July 13, 2019. Six Nations won the league title that year with a 3-2 championship series win over the Akwesasne Indians.
The Mohawks have a fairly veteran-laden squad this year. Of the 20 players on the team’s roster for the 2019 playoffs, 12 suited up for the game against Six Nations – Aitchison, Jake Bauman, Ryan Biggs, Ethan Broderick, Bushey, Detweiller, Dramnitzke, Hadley, Harrison, Jacob Hayne, Verbeek and Jonah White.
Ryan Litt and Mark McIntosh played the 2019 season with the Fergus Thistles, Elora’s junior C affiliate that reached the league final that year.
The Mohawks are to begin a five-game homestand Sunday when they’re to host the Welland Generals at the Elora Community Centre. Game time is 7 p.m.
They’re also to host the Owen Sound North Stars April 30, Point Edward Pacers May 1, St. Catharines Athletics May 7 and Six Nations May 8. All have 7 p.m. game times.
First road game after the homestand for the Mohawks is the small jaunt to the Victoria Road arena to face the Guelph Regals in an 8 p.m. game May 11.
- Guelph Sports Journal