Second Consecutive Loss Leaves Redmen Down 2-1 in Semi Final Series vs Chiefs
Less than a week ago, in front of a great crowd thanks the Ontario Lacrosse Festival, the Redmen opened the semi final series against the Six Nations Chiefs with a 6-4 win that featured solid goaltending and tough defence. Game two was at the ILA on Saturday and the Redmen lost 9-4, they would look to hang on to their well-earned home floor advantage with a win in game three back at home tonight but their guests had other plans.
In a game that featured continued great goaltending, tough defense and a rare penalty shot the Redmen lose 8-6 and now trail the Chiefs 2 games to 1 in their best of seven semi-final series.
Reilly O’Connor opened the scoring, the teams traded goals and were knotted at 2-2 when the buzzer sounded to signal the end of the first. The Redmen would break the game open early in the second and with just 1:36 off the clock had a 4-2 lead. The home side won the second period 3-2. The Chiefs scored in the final 25 seconds of that frame and won the ensuing face-off and called a time out but could convert and the Redmen were up 5-4 after forty minutes. Head coach Rich Kilgour and his staff provided sage advice and the Chiefs converted the talk into two successive goals and were up 6-5. Mark Matthews was given the penalty shot after he bore down on Dillon Ward only to be met by a Chiefs defender who left his bench far too early, Matthews converted and it was tied at 6-6 with half the third period remaining. The Chiefs kept coming however and Dhane Smith got the eventual winner with six minutes left followed up by a late goal from Stephen Keogh with 10 seconds left to preserve the win for the Chiefs.
Shots were 60-57 for the Chiefs (Mike Poulin and Ward in net), the Redmen were 0 for 2 on the power play while the Chiefs were 1 for 2. Dan Ball and David Brock each got 10 minute misconducts with five minutes to go in the first, they were told that their sentences would be up at 15:23 of the second period and a draw ball….they would sit almost 10 minutes longer as it was not until Dan Dawson scored with seven minutes to go in the middle frame that they went over the boards.
Game four is Wednesday at the ILA and game five is Friday at IPSC.