Burlington Blaze Advance to OJLL Final
The Orangeville Northmen will face the Burlington Blaze in the Ontario Junior Lacrosse League finals. For the second straight year, the Blaze eliminated the Mimico Mountaineers from the playoffs on Saturday with a 12-9 victory in game five of their best-of-seven series. The win sets up a rematch of the 2019 OJLL Final series which Orangeville won in five games en route to winning the Minto. It’s the first finals appearance for both the Northmen and Blaze since 2019.
Mimico took a 2-1 lead on Saturday night with a pair of goals 22 seconds apart in the first period from Justin Lee and Finn Thomson. A second from Thomson extended the lead on the power play, but the Blaze responded with their own three-goal run, ending the period leading 4-3.
All told, the Burlington streak hit six goals with three more to start the second period. Ty and Brooks English combined for four points as the Blaze led 7-4. A scrap between Brendan Boyle and Aiden MacDonell preceded a pair of Mountaineers goals. Braedon Saris and Chuck Rawson ended the period as the first did, with a pair of goals in the final two minutes. Burlington took a 9-5 lead into the final period.
Mimico pulled within two near the halfway mark of the third, but Saris completed his hat trick and Ty English added his fourth and fifth of the game. Mimico would win the period 4-3, a 20 minute span that saw 88 minutes in penalties, but it was too late to catch the Blaze who won the game 12-9 and the series in five games.
Burlington turned to Thomas Kiazyk for the start on Saturday. In his first OJLL start, the 19-year old Nepean goaltender stopped 42 of Mimico’s 51 shots to clinch the series. Ty English (5 goals, 2 assists) and Braedon Saris (3 goals, 2 assists) combined for eight of the Blaze’s 12 goals.
Mimico had hat tricks from Finn Thomson (3 goals, 2 assists) and Justin Lee (3 goals, 2 assists), but they were led by CJ Kirst’s six points (2 goals, 4 assists).
The OJLL Final series schedule between the Orangeville Northmen and Burlington Blaze will be released shortly. Follow ontariojuniorlacrosse.com or download the OJLL app for details.
