Redmen Season Draws to a Close with 9-6 Loss on the Road
The Brooklin Redmen handed the Six Nations Chiefs a loss on their home floor last Wednesday to knot the semi-final series at 2-2, the first team to accomplish that this season. Two nights later the teams battled at Iroquois Park and the Redmen looked to build on the game 4 win but to no avail as the Chiefs took the 10-8 win (and 3-2 series lead) in a game that saw a couple of momentum swings.
The teams were at it again 24 hours later and the Redmen bus rolled into the ILA parking lot for the 7 pm start for game six.
The Redmen jumped out to a 2-0 lead and the teams were tied at 3-3 after the opening frame. The Chiefs rattled off four straight to start the second period en route to a 7-3 lead. Austin Shanks and Kevin Brownell stopped the bleeding with a pair of goals late to make it 7-5 after two periods for the Chiefs. The teams traded goals to start the third and it was 8-6 for the Chiefs with four minutes to go in the third, that was as close as the Redmen would get as an empty net goal for the Chiefs sealed the win with a 9-6 final and the series four games to two.
Brooklin was 2 for 4 on the powerplay and the Chiefs were 1 for 4 with the extra man. Shots on net were 47-46 for the Redmen.
The Redmen fell just short of a playoff berth last year and this year finished second overall with a record of 12-5-1. They sported a home record of 8-1-0 and a road record of 4-4-1. Shayne Jackson with 52 points was tied at 7th overall in league scoring, Austin Shanks with 46 came in at 13th overall and Dan Lintner with 43 came in at 16th overall.
For 2017, the Redmen will look to their young guns to remain as a core and take that next step. The curtain draws on this 50th anniversary season with some disappointment but also optimism for what lies ahead for this storied franchise.