Athletics rebound to take down Arrows
Latrell Harris was a one-man wrecking crew for the St. Catharines Athletics Sunday.
The captain of the A’s got it done at both ends of the floor, leading the Athletics past the Six Nations Arrows 12-7 to take a 2-1 lead in their best-of-five Ontario Lacrosse Association quarter-final playoff series.
Harris scored a breakaway short-handed goal, set up another goal while the A’s were down a man, and also turned in his usual tenacious game on defence.
Harris downplayed his own individual effort.
“It’s very important (to lead), but I’m not the only one doing that,” he said. “We have 10 to 12 graduates and seniors and vets, so it’s not just me stepping up in the room.
“There’s no need for one person to step up if everyone is stepping up and doing their own roles.”
The victory came on the heels of a tough 9-8 loss in Game 2 Thursday.
“It’s a huge win, but more importantly, it’s a huge win for our mindset,” Harris said. “We’re a good team and when we get going, it’s going to be hard to stop us.
“We needed that to reassure us, but we’re going to be fine.”
The victory came at a heavy price — the A’s lost sniper Alex Simmons with what appeared to be a serious upper body injury in the first period when he was checked into the boards. No penalty was called on the play.
“We (said to each other) we’re going to be fine,” Harris replied when asked about the loss of Simmons. “We were going to have to move the ball and rely on eight or nine guys, and that’s what we did.
“We had to rely on our defence and transition game and that’s what our team is made of. It was good to see all facets of the team moving.”
A’s coach Steve Toll was impressed how his team rallied following the injury.
“Things happen like that in every sport, where guys get hurt and other guys have to step up.”
Sam LeClair and Jake McNabb filled in admirably with three goals each and Bradley Fannell chipped in with a pair.
The A’s can wrap things up Monday in Six Nations. Game 5, if necessary, would be back in St. Catharines Wednesday at 8 p.m.
“It’s going to be a dogfight in Nations, but we’re up for it,” Harris said.
Toll cautioned he doesn’t expect the Arrows to go down without a fight.
“We’re going to go in there and they’re going to be a different team,” Toll said. “We have come at them for sure.”
A’s acorns: Tyler Brown, Owen Friesen, Mario Cato, Gavin McGregor, Trent Jackson, Alex Gaston and Jacob McMillan did not dress for the A’s . . . Liam Ham made his A’s season debut and picked up a goal.
Athletics 12 Arrows 7
BPSN Star of the Game: A’s captain Latrell Harris with a solid all-round game.
St. Catharines Athletics: Harris; Jake McNabb 3; Sam LeClair 3; Bradley Fannell 2; Liam Ham, Mason Kamminga, Carter Zavitz.
Six Nations Arrows: Clay Scanlan 2; Ron John 2; Chase Scanlan, Daniel Balawejder, Jackson Reid.
Game stats: Shots on goal: By St. Catharines on Dustin Hill/Troy Holowchuk 47), by Six Nations on Nick Damude 50; Power plays: St. Catharines 3-for-5, Six Nations 2-for-4; Penalty minutes: St. Catharines 19, Six Nations 18.
Attendance: 518.
Up next: Game 4 Monday at Six Nations. Game 5, if necessary, Wednesday at 8 p.m. at Jack Gatecliff Arena.
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