Chiefs to defend the Mann Cup

SIX NATIONS – In a classic clash of the titans of lacrosse, the Six Nations Chiefs and the Peterborough Lakers took it to Game #7 where the Chiefs pulled out a huge come-from-behind win by scoring the last 6 goals of the game.

After Craig Point scored the first goal of the game in Peterborough, the Lakers said, ‘oh, no you don’t’, and strung four unanswered goals together before Cody Jamieson closed out the period at 19:20 with the score Lakers 4, Six Nations 2. Peterborough’s Brad Self and Mark Steenhaus each scored two.

Evan Kirk got the start but Brandon Miller took over after Peterborough’s fourth goals and played sensationally from that point on.

John Grant and Jamieson traded second period goals to leave a two goal, 5-3 gap for Six Nations to fill.

While the Chiefs came out ready to play in the third, the Lakers seemed to have spent all they had left in the bank after the long and very grueling series. Point made it 5-4 at 1:27 from Kasey Beirnes and Jamieson, Vaughn Harris tied it at 5-5 at 5:38 from Colin Doyle, Roger Vyse gave the Chiefs the lead at 6:06 from Jeff Shattler and Jamieson, and Shattler accounted for the Chiefs’ seventh and eighth goals at 6:46 and 14:49. Jesse Gamble and Brandon Miller collected assists.

The Mann Cup Championship series will be played at the ILA in Six Nations where they will face the best of the West, the Victoria Shamrocks. Dates have not been set yet.

Game #6 was a game of seconds and inches in one of the most exciting lacrosse game of the season, as the evenly matched Six Nations Chiefs and the Peterborough Lakers went nose to nose at the Iroquois Lacrosse Arena, Friday night, right up to the final buzzer.

The ageless John Grant was the Lakers source of power and inspiration as the Lakers eventually won it 10-9 in overtime.

A large and loud contingent of Peterborough fans made the trip to support their Lakers, who have had their back against the wall after falling behind 3-1 in the best of seven series.

You would have to look long and hard to be able to find a more evenly matched game.

Craig Point scored at 2:44 from Johnny Powless and Kasey Beirnes, but the Lakers’ Shawn Evans evened the score at 8:52. Beirnes took the 2-1 lead from Powless and Jeff Shattler at 14:42 on a powerplay with Andrew Watt in the box for holding. Andrew Suitor tied it at 2-2 to end the first period.

The referees put the whistle away for the most part and let the teams play.

Peterborough’s veteran big guns, Grant, Evans and Cory Vitarelli, combined early in the second period to put the Lakers ahead 4-2 with Evans the trigger man of both goals.

Shattler evened the score again with quick back-to-back goals scored at 10:03 and 11:02 to even things up again at 4-4. Biernes, Point and Cody Jamieson earned assists.

Vitarelli and Matt Crough once again put Peterborough ahead by two, which Jamieson and Stephan Keogh countered scoring only seven seconds apart to even the score again, ending 40 minutes of hard hitting play even at 6-6.

Jamieson scored his second of the game to open the third period but Vitarelli and Adam Jones netted a pair for the Lakers a minute apart to lead 8-7 with 5 minutes left in regulation time.

Peterborough tried to run the clock and it almost looked like they would as some Six Nations fans left for the parking lot as time wound down. But Laker’s goalie Tyler Carlson, who had played an outstanding game, as did Warren Hill for the Chiefs, mishandled a lead pass, which the Chiefs intercepted and called a time out. Then, with control of the ball, Jeff Shattler sent the Chiefs fans crazy by scoring the tying goal at 19:52, from Powless.

Grant played a powerful game for Peterborough using his size and experience as he broke through his coverage several times to get more than a few great scoring chances. But it was in the overtime period that he shone. He scored at 2:10 of the 10 minute OT period, from Brad Self.

The Chiefs caught a break when Peterborough’s Robert Hope was charged with high sticking with 3:52 remaining. Roger Vyse evened it up on the ensuing powerplay, but with 1:43 remaining Rory Smith was called for high sticking. The Chiefs could not contain Grant on the Lakers powerplay and with 1:25 left in OT, he capitalized on the chance and scored what would be the game winner. But the Chiefs came within inches of tying again when a shot trickled through Carlson.

The ball was rolling in slow motion towards the goal line when a Lakers defenseman reached in behind Carlson to stop the ball only an inch before going in as time ran out.

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