Six unanswered goals in the second period by the Six Nations Arrows was the difference as the Ontario Junior A lacrosse champions put the defending Minto Cup national champion Coquitlam Adanacs up against a wall with a 9-4 win Wednesday in Brampton, Ont.
Six Nations leads the best-of-five series two games to none after they also won the opener on Tuesday, 12-7. Game Three is tonight.
Adanacs’ coach Pat Coyle said playing Six Nations has been a bit of a wake-up call for his team that only lost two games before they packed their bags for Ontario. In three meetings so far in the Minto Cup, they’ve yet to defeat the Arrows.
“You realize how good they are,” Coyle said. “They are a good team from top to bottom.”
Coyle said the Adanacs’ dominance in the BC Junior A Lacrosse League may also be working against them.
“It’s tough when you’re not as challenged as much during the year,” Coyle said. “It feels like we’re fighting for our lives here.”
Wednesday, the Adanacs actually held the lead against Six Nations for the first time in their three meetings.
Dennon Armstrong and Chase Scanlan staked Coquitlam to a 2-0 advantage before Cory Highfield of the Arrows cut the lead in half heading into the first intermission.
It was after the break the Adanacs’ came unravelled.
Six Nations’ Austin Staats scored his first of three goals in the period at 4:11 to tie it and less than two minutes later the tournament’s leading scorer Tehoka Nanticoke netted his 13th goal to put the Arrows in front for good.
By the time the middle period was done, Six Nations was up 7-2.
Coyle said his team just hasn’t been able to penetrate the tough Arrows’ defence.
“Their defence is pretty deadly,” Coyle said. “When you’re scoring only four goals, you’re not going to win many games.”
While the teams played the third period on even terms, as each scored twice, Coyle said his team needs to do more.
“You find out what you’re made of,” Coyle said.
