CHUCK RAWSON’S LATE GOAL EDGES BURLINGTON BLAZE OVER SIX NATIONS ARROWS

There wasn’t much to separate the Six Nations Arrows and Burlington Blaze inside The Oven on Friday night. The teams with near-identical records matched each other shot-for-shot and nearly goal-for-goal. Burlington was able to slightly edge Six Nations 9-8.

By the midway mark of the first period, Gavin Thibeault and Will MacLeod had Burlington staked to a two goal lead. With just under three minutes to play in the period, Josh Ricci and Jaden Kennedy scored nine seconds apart to even the game. A late power play set up a chance for Alex Marinier’s buzzer-beater to give Burlington a slim 3-2 lead at the break.

Thibeault and Cody Innes were able to bookend an action-packed second period. However, between those goals was a pair of back-to-back markers from Six Nations. First from Thunder Hill on the power play, and Blaze Becker and then Winter Rivera and Brendan Anderson winning the Arrows the period and tying the game at 6.

Three minutes into the period Trysen Sunday gave the Arrows the lead, but only for eight second before Thibeault completed his hat trick. Kaleym Racette restored the visitor’s advantage a few minutes later, a lead that would hold until near the end of the period. With the man advantage, Innes scored to re-tie the game at 8. Then, in the final minute, Chuck Rawson’s second of the game made him the hero as the Blaze hang on the win 9-8.

Despite scoring just one goal, Will MacLeod finished with seven points (1+6) – enough to finish the night second in OJLL points with 34 (in 5 games). Chuck Rawson (2+2) and Alex Marinier (1+3) both had four points. Gavin Thibeault’s hat trick was the first of his OJLL career.

All eight of the Arrows’ goals came from eight different players. Brendan Anderson (1+2), Thunder Hill (1+2) and Kaleym Racette (1+2) all finished with three points. Hill now has 14 goals on the season (in 5 games), second in the league behind Toronto’s Willem Firth (18 in 4 games)