Girls Got Game Lax Tournament

The two-day Girls Got Game Tournament over the weekend brought the best from the west to face off against the local girls at the Anowarako:wa arena.

Teams came from Hamilton, Toronto, Grand River and Whitby as well as the local rivals Kahnawake Ladyhawks.

Game one saw the short staffed yet powerful Toronto Stars blank Hamilton 7-0.

Game two picked up the Kahnawake Ladyhawks meeting the host Women Warriors with Akwesasne coming out on top 7-2. Lindsay Roundpoint scored two goals and added an assist in the win. Shyanne Brant, Kharlene Garrow, Mikayla Francis, Kylee Lazore and Shawnee Oakes added one apiece. Garrow also added an assist. Tenni Stacey and Kiersten Diabo replied for the Ladyhawks.

The next two games in the tournament were exhibition matches. The Akwesasne Midgets fell to Six Nations 5-1 with the visitors winning 5-2 and this was followed by a game in the Paperweight division between Akwesasne and Kahnawake and they battled to a 6-6 tie.

Grand River blanked Whitby 12-0 in the next game and Whitby handed the Ladyhawks an 11-3 drubbing.

The final game for the Women Warriors was against the Toronto Stars. Toronto scored the opening period's only goal on the power play. The penalty was officially expired but the penalized player went to the bench and the fresh player wasn't into the zone yet when the Stars scored.

There was no scoring in the second, but lots of hits and stand up goaltending on both ends of the floor.

The Stars were the recipients of most of the hits but they shook it off and kept attacking.

In the final period the visitors scored twice and they won 3-0.

The following day saw the host Warriors lose to Whitby by a 2-0 score and Kahnawake doubled up on Hamilton 4-2 with Tenni Stacey scoring a hat trick for the Ladyhawks in the other game.

That loss put Akwesasne in the Bronze medal game against the Grand River Attack, which went down to the final buzzer.

Cheyenne Lazore and Olivia Cook scored the first period goals for Akwesasne with Deanna Pantin replying with two for the Attack and the score was tied 2-2.

The teams played a scoreless second, and in the third with the bronze medal on the line, both teams played some aggressive and fast lacrosse.

A routine clearing pass in front of the Warriors net was picked off and they made their way up the floor with Pantin scoring to make it 3-2.

Pantin added her fourth of the game a minute later to double the count 4-2 but Akwesasne's Cheyenne Lazore brought them within one with four minutes left.

That set the stage for the barnburner.

With the slim lead, the Attack almost made it another two-goal game as they forechecked the ball loose and it got to a forward who hit the crossbar.

The Warriors also had some great chances with two minutes left. Olivia Cook went on a floor length rush and broke past the Attack defender but goalie Chelsea Doolittle made the save.

Cook jumped on her own rebound and hit Pamela Jacobs, but her shot was stopped by Doolittle. Grand River got possession and tried to clear, but the ball was picked off by Dawn Smoke who passed to Cheyenne Lazore. She circled the net but her shot hit the back of the net. Smoke picked up the rebound and passed to Lazore again, but her blast hit a player. Again Smoke jumped on that rebound and shot and Doolittle saved it. Finally Akwesasne's 30 second shot clock ran out and they lost possession. The ball went to the other end and the Warriors defense stood up Grand River runners but they got a shot off and Warriors goalie Brittney Miller came up with the clutch save.

The rebound came out to Lazore who darted up the floor and was denied by Doolittle on the breakaway.

The loose ball was picked up by Smoke who shot and Doolitle again made the save.

Again Smoke got her own rebound passed again to Lazore who blasted point blank but again Doolittle was on it.

The Attack called a time out and when play resumed the Warriors picked right up where they left off with Lazore, Cook and Smoke swarming the net but Doolitle stood her ground and turned them away. The Warriors then called their time out and when play resumed the Attack ran out the clock.

Cook was named Player of the Game and Deanna Pantin - who scored all the Attacks goals in their bronze medal win - got the Player of the Game for them.