SIX NATIONS — Game #2 of the best of seven Minto Cup Championship playoffs against the Coquitlam Adanacs was a thriller at the ILA Sunday night as the Arrows clawed back from a 6-5 second period deficit to even the series at a game apiece with a 9-8 overtime win.
Coquitlam played the same game that won them Game #1 the night before, but the Arrows did not, and that was the difference.
The Adanacs took a 3-2 first period lead and pressed that to 4-2 at 2:14 of the second. Chris Cloutier scored two for the Adanacs and Andy Campbell added another while James Rahe and Dallas John tallied for the Arrows.
After Tyler Pace scored Coquitlam’s fourth of the game, Ryan Lee pulled the Arrows back to a one goal deficit, but Chase Macyntire and Pace kept the guests two goals ahead of Six Nations at 6-4 after two periods.
Brendan Bomberry began the comeback when he scored on a powerplay from Dallas John at 5:16 of the third. Cole Shafer connected on an Adanacs powerplay to wrestle the two-goal lead back two minutes later. With the clock becoming a factor, Ryan Lee scored from Jordan Durston and Haodais Maracle at 14:14, and Bomberry sent the game to overtime at 18:04.
Dallas John scored in the extra period followed by Ryan Lee to take a 9-7 lead. Pace scored his third of the night at 19:06 but it would not be enough as the Arrows made it a best of five series.
The Arrows were not sharp in Game #1 against the Adanacs at the Iroquois Lacrosse Arena Saturday night. The result was a series opining 9-7 Coquitlam win in front of a large ILA crowd.
It was clear the teams were probing each other’s defense throughout most of the first period. The Adanacs did a good job creating traffic in front of Doug Jamieson all night while the Arrows seemed to be playing without the same level of urgency.
Austin Staats got the Arrows’ faithful going at 2:18 and not long after, the crowd went wild again thinking the Arrows had taken a 2 goal lead, but it was called back for a crease violation.
Cole Shafer turned the tide with a powerplay goal to tie the game and a go-ahead shorthanded goal a minute and a half apart.
Haodais Maracle netted the Arrows second of the game with a long, high blister just under the post to even the score at 2-2.
The Arrows got stung a second time with a pair of quick goals from Chase MacIntyre at 12:50 and Michael Messenger at 13:09 to complete the first 20 minutes with the Adanacs leading 4-2.
Coquitlam’s fifth goal is one Jamieson would surely like back but he could not be faulted on their sixth.
Adanac’s agile goaltender Christian Del Bianco was outstanding, however, being of small stature he was victimized mainly by high shots. Josh Johnson found that to be true with a powerplay goal at 10:16 and James Rahe put one in the same space at 17:22, also on a powerplay.
Tyler pace slipped in a buzzer-beater for Coquitlam just as the period ended, 7-4.
Jordan Durston brought the Arrows fans back into the game at 26 seconds of the third period and at 2:35 Ryan Lee drew the Arrows close, 7-6, with a shorthander.
Coquitlam kept their cool and answered with goals by Chris Cloutier and Reid Bowering before Staats put the last mark on the score sheet from Brendan Bomberry and Josh Johnson.
“Coquitlam played hungry in the first game and I think we showed some pushback in the third period but it was too little, too late,” said Arrows head coach Patrick Merrill. “They seemed ready to go right from the opening face off and we didn’t look like our normal selves. They did a lot of things better than us tonight and that’s for sure.”
“We knew it was going to be a battle. It is for the Canadian Championship,” said Merrill. “They are in this game and we respect what they bring.”
Adanacs Coach Pat Coyle, wasn’t too excited about winning game #1 with the memory of last year’s Minto Cup still haunting the team.
“Remember, we won the first two games last year and the Arrows came back to win it,” he said. “That being said, it’s a nice start but that’s all it is.”
The series continued Tuesday night with Game #3, which missed deadline for this week’s issue. Game #4 goes Wednesday night with Game #5 set for Thursday night, Aug. 27th. Games #6 and #7, if necessary, will be played Saturday Aug. 29 and Sunday Aug. 30th. All games are at the ILA.
