A Nail-biting End to a Great Season

By Derrick Lafrance

Photos by Joe Francis

The Akwesasne Jr. B Indians came up six seconds short of another step toward the Ontario league championship series with a 11-10 heartbreaking loss to Halton Hills Bulldogs.

After two tough losses on the road, the Indians had a big task ahead to win the next three straight with this game three last weekend at Anowarako:wa Arena.

They started out flying keeping the ball in Halton Hills end in the early minutes and after a few tries Adam Bomberry's diving goal was called back.

The visitors got on the board first with Seth Laidlaw scoring two identical goals a minute apart three minutes into the game.

The Indians had two more goals called back due to crease but Seth Oakes scored their first goal shortly after to make it 2-1.

He had the ball at the dots but was held in check. He held onto the ball, slide to his right and ran toward the net for their first. Ryan Thomas and Takeri Thompson assisted.

The Bulldogs regained their two-goal lead on Adam Charalambide's goal five minutes in but they tied it up near the halfway point of that first when Ky Tarbell got a breakaway pass from goalie Sam Verville. He lost possession briefly but recovered and cut across the left and shot low for the tie.

Seth Oakes scored the tying goal as he barged through traffic while carrying the Dogs' Myles Cox of Halton Hills on his back. Cox had the wraparound on him but Oakes got off the shot at the crease and the first ended 3-3.

Akwesasne came out owning the second period outscoring Halton Hills 5-1.

Oakes and Tarbell completed their hat tricks during that run while Russ Oakes and Akwi David scored one each.

The Indians scored three in a row and after the Bulldogs notched one they countered with two more.

But just as the Indians ran away in the first the Dogs' ran away in the final period of regulation with six while Akwesasne scored twice; Blaze Riorden and Adam Bomberry.

In the final two minutes the Indians led 10-8 when the Bulldogs crashed Indians goalie Donovan Fleisher - who had relieved Sam Verville. He stopped a Seth Laidlaw shot but the rebound came to Lewis White and when he got tied up he shoveled the pass to Campbell Parker to make it 10-9.

At the faceoff following that goal the Dogs' Adam Charalambides won the draw but he was mobbed by several Indians players and he dumped the ball to Cox who ran in and went low left to tie.

In the ten-minute overtime period there was no scoring but plenty of chances on both sides.

Six seconds into the sudden death Halton Hills got the ball and scored to end the thrilling final Junior lacrosse game of the season.