First Four-Game Friday Full Of OJLL Action

Photo: Michelle Malvaso / OJLL

Following Friday’s full slate, every OJLL team has now played at least one game. Four games were held in Peterborough, Brampton, Toronto and Kitchener-Waterloo on the first night of multiple matchups scheduled.

On OJLL TV, the Six Nations Arrows improved to 2-0 with a 9-8 overtime victory over the Peterborough Lakers. Midway through the second period the Arrows held a 4-2 lead with a pair of goals from Thunder Hill and three points from Winter Rivera. In the final two minutes, kickstarted by Frank Coyle’s shorthanded breakaway goal, the home side scored three goals in 1:47, leading 5-4 after two. Colby Wood scored on the powerplay, and again 12 seconds later.

The third period went back-and-forth with Hill and Rivera scoring for Six Nations and Nick Crowley adding two points for Peterborough. With 2:24 to play, Rivera’s lane to the net was cut off. Passing the ball behind his back, he found Shakorennawis Swamp on the crease who tied the game forcing overtime.

After end-to-end chances, Trysen Sunday stopped to freeze his defender and then, sensing a lane, took off to the net. As he passed in front of Cole Gervais, his shot hit the back of the net winning the game for Six Nations 9-8.

Thunder Hill had another big night putting up six points (3+3). Right behind were Winter Rivera’s 5 (2+3) and Tryson Sunday’s four (2+2). Nicholas Roode and Colby Wood both scored twice for the Lakers, who were led by Nick Crowley’s four (1+3). Cole Gervais stopped 42 of 51 shots in a strong, but losing effort. The Arrows turned to Ethan Robertson who made 36 saves.

Meanwhile, in Brampton, the Excelsiors scored six straight goals in a run spanning the first and second periods to upset the Orangeville Northmen 8-6.

Bowie Horsman and Darcy Thompson opened the scoring. Both goals were answered by Orangeville’s Liam Matthews and, 10 seconds later, Owen Rahn. Nolan Byrne’s late powerplay marker, his second of the period, sparked a three-goal, 2:19 run to end the first and signal a Northmen goalie change.

Two more Brampton goals to start the second stretched the lead to 8-2. Dylan Sanderson did score on the powerplay to get one back before the break. A pair from Guerin Jennings, and Trey Deere’s third of the season pulled Orangeville within two, but that’s as far as they’d come, losing on the road 8-6 and dropping their record to 1-1.

Brampton were led by Nolan Byrne, who scored twice and added two assists. Also with four points was Bowie Horsman (1+3), while Darcy Thompson finished with five (1+4). Orangeville’s six goals were split among five players. Guerin Jennings was the only multi-goal scorer.

In Toronto, the Beaches returned to Ted Reeve for the first time since 2022 and did so in style, dropping the defending Minto Cup champions to 0-2 with a 12-9 win.

And it was a good night to be named “Will”.

2022 MVP, Toronto’s Willem Firth, was stellar again scoring four times in the first period and adding an assist. Will MacLeod scored twice, the only two Blaze goals in the frame. MacLeod would add three more through the second including twice pulling Burlington within one goal. Another goal and assist from Firth not just kept the lead, but extended it to 8-6 after two.

Because five goals wasn’t enough, Firth opened the third with a natural hat trick (in 3:21). Alex Marinier, MacLeod and Matthew Pereria countered that, but a late Beaches goal sealed the 12-9 victory.

Willem Firth flirted with the OJLL goals and points records with an 11 point masterpiece (8+3). Greg Palmer had seven points (2+5). Also impressive was Will MacLeod’s seven point evening (6+1). Firth and MacLeod combined for 14 goals and four assists, for 18 points.

The final two teams to play in 2024 were the Mimico Mountaineers and Kitchener-Waterloo. A late first-period run put Mimico in front 7-4, and they only kept scoring eventually winning 19-7.

KW did lead three times in the opening frame, twice off goals from Max Frattaroli. However, four goals down the stretch saw the home side trail 7-4 and only score three more times over the next two periods.

Mimico scored eight times in the second period, four of those on special teams and seven in succession. Lucas Dudemaine opened the third with back-to-back scores, and watched from the penalty box late while teammates Alex Roussel and Jordan Vincent each scored short-handed. Malikye Good did score on the power play but it was way too little, way too late as KW drop its home opener 19-7.

Four Mountaineers scored hat tricks – Alex Roussel (3+3), Justin Lee (3+1), Lucas Dudemaine (3+3), Ryan Stines. Reigning scoring champ Finn Thomson kicked off his season with six points (2+4). Max Frattaroli and Malikye Good each had four points for Kitchener-Waterloo (2+2).