This is a great clip on the most heartbreaking loss I've seen. If you don't have time to view the entire clip, mostly a series of snapshots, go to 4 minutes 33 seconds and view the last 17 seconds of the 2007 Minto Cup semi-final game. To get a bit of commentary regarding the events leading up to this ending, read my post of August 30, 2007. Tell me that doesn't bring a tear to your eye...
Six Nations Arrows Express 2007 Minto Cup Champions
The Lakers really didn't have a chance. Right from the start, Six Nations dominated in the final game. By the end of the first period, they were leading 8-1. The Lakers just couldn't seem to get much past Arrows' goalie, Ben VanEvery.
The Arrows are an amazingly strong and fast team, and Kent Squire-Hill is particularly fun to watch. I've never seen anyone hang onto a ball so well with so many coming at him. Shawn Evans kept his diving under control today, which was good. I got a chuckle out of seeing a Salmonbellies fan of about nine or ten hold up a hand-made poster as the Arrows filed through to the dressing room during an intermission. The poster read: "Evans No Diving."
Six Nations deserved today's win, there's no doubt about it. Congrats to them.
Congratulations also to Salmonbellies goalie, Craig Robertson, for getting awarded Best Goaltender for Minto Cup tournament play.
So claims Junior Salmonbellies GM Harry Ferguson. And he's right. The previous time these two refs officiated, they called every little thing, to the point that they slowed down the game. Half the calls they made were lost on the fans. So many times, we'd ask each other, "what did they call this time?" In this game however, they did the opposite, until the final four minutes: "'At this level it’s frustrating that found a way for it to decide a game,' said New West head coach Rob Dick. 'They had the whistle put away for most of the game and then at the end they decide to make calls just because we’re up by one rather than let the teams finish.'"
Grant Granger's (Newsleader) summary of Thursday night's game is pretty good. And the more I read about Regy Thorpe, the less I like the guy: "Six Nations head coach Regy Thorpe said they spotted the glove’s deficiency at the start of the tournament and stored the knowledge for the right time. The Arrows had been burned a couple of times this season on similar calls, including one Thorpe said cost them a 22-game undefeated streak."
First off, I have to say that this was the most exciting lacrosse game I've ever seen. It was fast and furious. I sat on the edge of my seat, jumped up and down, participated in impromptu standing ovations, and chanted "New West" in response to the Six Nations fans' drumbeats. Heck, I even taunted the ref a bit.
The Salmonbellies trailed 2-1 at the end of the first period. Right from the start they hadn't taken as many shots as the Six Nations Arrows Express. Kyle Buchanan tied it up in the second period, and when Curtis Manning got a shorthanded goal five minutes later, the direction of the game changed. The Bellies managed to hold the 3-2 lead until the end of the second period.
Midway through the third period, Express took two in a row, which the Bellies didn't answer to until seven minutes later, when they took two as well.
At this point, though, Express's Shawn Evans, who's dived at least three times already without getting called on it, takes another dive and fakes an injury, prompting the refs to give a slashing penalty to Salmonbelly Eric Lewthwaite. Once Lewthwaite is en route to the box, Evans miraculously recovers (insert sarcasm here). And the next thing you know, the refs are checking Craig Robertson's equipment. Robertson gets a two-minute penalty for a split glove and a game misconduct, no doubt for questioning the call. Sean Tessarolo goes into net. With two in the penalty box, the Bellies let a goal slip by. Score: 5-5.
With 29 seconds left in the game, the Six Nations overthrow a pass and the Bellies gain possession and call a time-out. They're unable to score and lose possession with just 17 seconds left in the game. Six Nations then call a time-out and come up with a plan. On the buzzer, Mitch Nanticoke drills one into the net, assisted by Cody Jamieson and Shawn Evans--yes, the same Shawn Evans who got hurt just minutes earlier. Game over--literally.
So, there you have it. Six Nations advance on a technicality. Now, had they called the equipment violation earlier, and not at the same time as Evans' Academy Award-winning performance, I'd have a lot more respect for the team. Because they went about it the way they did, I can only conclude that they were being opportunistic and doing whatever they could to take a win. But, they seem proud of themselves...
As for the Robertson, well, I don't know. I'll have to withhold judgment until I get more details. He did save the Bellies from a serious thrashing, though. The Express had 67 shots on net compared to the Bellies' 35. And I certainly don't blame Tessarolo, either. Had the Bellies taken more shots and placed them better, the game would have had a different outcome.
