A Voice from the Eastern Door
A Voice from the Eastern Door
Although the Akwesasne Indians fell to the Kahnawake Hunters at their 2014 Ontario Junior B Lacrosse League regular season closer, they sent them back home after taking three straight games in the opening playoff round.
Meanwhile, Akwesasne’s Kason Tarbell was named OJBLL Eastern Conference Most Valuable Defensive Player of the Year. Tarbell, 18, finished the 2014 regular season with 14 games played, five goals, six assists, one power play goal, one game-winning goal and 24 penalty minutes.
They advance to face the Oakville Buzz in another best-of-five series. Last year, the Indians fell to the Oshawa Green Gaels in round three.
“We will be ready,” Akwesasne Coach Garrett Cree said. “It’s playoffs. Anything can happen.”
Both Oakville and Akwesasne finished the regular season at first place in their respective divisions. Each held a 16-4 record. The Buzz finished round one of their playoff season three-games-to-one over the Newmarket Saints.
Cree said the squad is displaying fine defensive capability and their offense is clicking more and more as the season progresses.
“Our defense is good,” he said, “our offense is starting to find the net more. We are focused on the Founders Cup. We understand we have to play one game at a time.”
Cree believes Oakville is confident they can sweep Akwesasne.
“Oakville finished as a higher seed than us … they choose where to start the playoffs,” he said. “This tells me Oakville thinks they can beat us at [Anowarakowa] and finish the series at home.”
Cree is confident the team has what it takes for another sweep.
“I believe our guys will be successful,” Cree said. “We have to win three.”
The opening contest is slated for Saturday, July 12 at 7 p.m. at Anowarakowa Arena.
In game one, the Indians trailed 7-4 after the opening stanza but came back to the turf for a powerhouse second period and claimed the bout by a final tally of 18-9. They met Saturday, June 28 at Anowarakowa Arena.
Scoring leaders were Seth Oakes (three goals, four assists) and Brine Rice (four goals, two assists). Akwesasne netminder Sam Verville stopped 27 of the 36 shots he faced and was credited a win. Kahnawake goalie Kanathonshon Horn David blocked 38 of 56 attempts for the loss.
Seth Oakes, Dalston Day and Ky Tarbell struck quickly for a 3-1 lead, but the combined efforts of Hunters Poe Albany, Rice and Oran Horn put their squad back on top by the buzzer. Indian Russ Oakes and Hunter Cam Horn traded goals in the first two minutes, which gave way to an Akwesasne stampede. Cody Radzeiwicz. Seth Oakes, Russ Oakes, Tarbell, Adam Bomberry, Gale Thorpe, Blaze Riordan and Day all struck to take the game back in period number two. Rice managed to put another Kahnawake goal on the board in the closing frame, but he was matched by Dalton Roundpoint, Radzeiwicz. Thorpe and Bomberry.
The Indians took game two by an even wider 14-3 margin on Sunday, June 29 at Kahnawake Sports Complex.
Offensive leaders were Indian Ky Tarbell (three goals, five assists) and Hunter Simon Winquist (three goals). Verville stood tall in the Akwesasne net, turning aside 33 of 36 scoring tries and adding a win to his record. David stuffed 37 of 50 attempts and was credited a loss.
The Indians hit the field with ferocity, taking an 8-1 lead after 20 minutes. Goals came from Seth Oakes, Ky Tarbell, Riordan, Bomberry and Sky Sunday.
Kahnawake’s Winquist scored one of his three goals in each stanza.
Day and Bomberry struck for Akwesasne in the second period and third-frame goals went to Seth Oakes, Grayson Phillips, Thorpe and Sunday.
The Indians won their series finale 11-6 on Thursday, July 3 at Anowarakowa Arena.
Although Kahnawake started the game looking hopeful to take their first series win, Akwesasne re-established dominance in the second period and held that momentum for the victory.
Russ Oakes led the Akwesasne charge with three goals and three assists. Kahnawake’s top scorer was Rice with a hat trick and a helper. Verville stopped 40 of 46 shots and David blocked 41 of 52 for the respective win and loss.
Day got things going for Akwesasne less than two minutes in. But the Hunters responded in triplicate with two markers from Rice and one from Cougar Kirby. Seth Oakes found the back of the Kahnawake net with one second on the clock. Russ Oakes scored two straight in three minutes. Kahnawake then pulled David for an extra attacker and at 3:21, Cam Horn made the plan work. The Indians wouldn’t let their opponents off lightly. Phillips, Day, Steph Charbonneau and Ky Tarbell decided the game by the end of the frame. The third period saw three Akwesasne goals, two from Riordan and one from Russ Oakes. Kahnawake was only able to match two, off the sticks of Kaheriios Montour and Rice.
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