Snake Island Muskies open a new season with games against Axemen, Mohawks

By Andy Gardner

The Snake Island Muskies played a nailbiter opening game of the 2019 season that ended in a tie after overtime, then won their next game by three goals and later lost to Kahnawake.

Snake Island started their season on Monday, June 17 at Anowarakowa Arena against the Capital Region Axemen.

Tyler Akins posted the first goal of the game for Ottawa 6:32 into regulation, on a power play with assists from Fred Hartley and Blake Kenny. Four minutes and 51 seconds later, Shane Francis put the Muskies on the board on a play set up by Ahta Lazore. Just over two minutes later shorthanded, Joe Hall put Snake Island out to a 2-0 lead with assists coming from Vaughn Harris and Jordan Thomas. Hartley took advantage of a power play with just under five minutes remaining in the stanza on a play set up by Jeff Zywicki and Kenny.

Returning for the middle frame tied 2-2, Francis put the Muskies back out to a one-goal lead after just 37 seconds on an unassisted play. Thomas followed suit a minute and 23 seconds later with assists from David and Harris. Zywicki (Kenny assist) and Jordan Hendryks (Scott Taylor, Ty Logan assists) answered with two goals for Ottawa, returning to score to a knot at 4-all. After 11 minutes of stalemate, Grayson Phillips brought Snake Island back to a one-goal lead, assisted by Harris and David. Twenty six seconds later, Thomas connected after taking a pass from Scott Thompson to make the score 6-4. The Axemen’s Kenny reduced their deficit to a single goal with 28 seconds left in the period with assists credited to Andrew McNeil and Joe Wasson.

The Muskies returned to the box for the third stanza and rattled off three goals in six minutes. They came from Hall (assisted by Jordan Thomas and Beets Thompson), Ryan Thomas (assisted by Jordan Thomas and Hall) and Harris (assisted by Casey Swamp). The Axeman responded with four goals in a row, including a buzzer beater to draw a tie and force overtime. Hartley scored from Zywicki at 9:41, and then Akins punched one in unassisted just under four minutes later on a power play. With 3:55 left, Wasson connected after taking a pass from Kenny, to make the score 9-8. Then with two seconds left in regulation, Spencer Corkery got the ball from Hartley and tied the game.

The teams traded goals in overtime, but neither was able to hold on to an advantage before the buzzer. Hartley scored for the Axemen, assisted by Zywicki on a power play 1:11 in. Jordan Thomas, for the Muskies, tied the game 31 seconds later on a play set up by David. Kenny (assisted by Pat Collins and Ty Logan at 3:56) and Hartley (assisted by Zywicki and Kenny at 4:20) scored the last two Axemen goals. Snake Island’s Harris at 6:48 and Hall at 8:32 scored their last two goals. Nick Sanseverino and Chad Thompson assisted the former. The latter was set up by Francis and Harris.

Snake Island goalie Jake Lazore made 37 saves. Axemen netminder Denzel Moran Weeks turned aside 38 shots.

On Saturday, June 23, the Muskies returned to action against the Axemen and fashioned a 10-7 win in a road game at Bell Centennial Arena in Nepean, Ontario.

Snake Island quickly took control of the game, outscoring their opponents 5-1 in the first period, and then their offense was a bit quieter in the following two stanzas, but their defense kept Ottawa attackers at bay to hold on for a win.

Brandon Swamp (unassisted on a power play) and Sanseverino scored twice for the Muskies in the first 9:08 of the game. The first was unassisted and the second was set up by Lee Thomas. Curtis Singleton scored the only goal of the frame for the Axeman, at 12:19 assisted by Logan. Hall, Phillips and Raweras Mitchell scored three more for the home team before the intermission buzzer. Sanseverino and Lee Thomas assisted Hall, and Thomas also drew an assist on the Mitchell marker. Phillips was unassisted.

The second period was a stalemate, with each team drawing a trio of goals. Laffin scored for the Muskies at 3:05, then Ottawa answered with their three between 3:55 and 10:56. They came from J.P. Kealey (assisted by Tim Bergin), and then two from Hartley (respectively assisted by MacNeil and Thomas Bakeeff). Phillips scored two more for the Muskies before the break. Mitchell assisted the first at 11:58. Francis assisted the second goal, which happened at 13:58.

Going into the final stanza with an 8-5 lead, the Muskies kept the Axemen from escaping their deficit and then fired in two insurance goals to finish off the win. Ottawa goals came from Hartley (on a power play, unassisted), Kason Crooke (assisted by Nevan Sullivan) and Corkery (assisted by Bergin). Sanseverino and Ryan Thomas scored the last two for Snake Island, both unassisted.

Kobi Johnson stood tall in the Muskies net with 47 saves. Weeks worked the Ottawa crease for 26 saves.

On Sunday, June 23, the Muskies lost 16-5 to the Kahnawake Mohawks at Anowarakowa.

The Mohawks scored all the goals they would need in the first period, outscoring the Muskies 7-3. Two Axe scored what would hold up as the game-winner with just under three minutes remaining in the first period, with helpers from Hunter Hemlock and Jacob Ruest. The Mohawks went on to lead 10-4 at the end of the second period and outscored the Muskies 6-1 in the closing frame. Joe Hall led the Muskies with two goals and two assists. Vaughn Harris scored twice. Lee Thomas picked up the other goal. Francis assisted two plays and Jordan Thomas tallied a solo helper. Lazore made 16 saves.

Brine Rice sparked the Kahnawake offense with six goals and three assists. Pete Jacobs scored twice with four assists. Ruest and Hemlock each had a solo goal and four helpers. Nick Angus netted a hat trick. Two Axe and Alan Singleton each scored once and assisted once. Ty Cadeau scored one goal. Solo assists came from Dwight Bero, Kyle Alfred and Warrant Lazare. Donovan Fleisher made five saves.

The Muskies play the Kahnawake Mohawks on Saturday, June 29 at Kahnawake Sports Complex at 7 p.m.

In other recent Three Nations Senior B Lacrosse League action:

• The Kahnawake Mohawks beat the Windsor Eagles 19-10 on June 22 at Kahnawake Sports Complex. Statistics were not available.

• The Mohawks beat the Windsor Eagles 16-7 on June 15 at Centre Julien Ducharme. Mark Kirby led the Mohawks with three goals and four assists. Brine Rice scored two goals and five assists. Francis Cote paced Windsor with two goals and three assists.

• The Mohawks beat the Axemen 19-10 on June 14 in Nepean. Rice led Kahnawake with seven goals and three assists. Bergin sparked the Axemen offense with three goals and four helpers.

• The Axemen beat the Mohawks 10-9 on June 9 in Kahnawake. Aaron Woods paced the Axemen with three goals and one assist. Bergin scored twice with two helpers. Karahkwanoron Two Axe led the Mohawks with three goals and four assists.