Six Nations responds to beat Victoria 10-4 in game two of the 2024 Mann Cup; Thompson and McLaughlin hat tricks and 43 saves from Hill lead the way
SIX NATIONS OF THE GRAND RIVER – The Six Nations Chiefs bounced back to defeat the Victoria Shamrocks 10-4 in game two of the 2024 Mann Cup at the Iroquois Lacrosse Arena. Lyle Thompson led the way once again as he finished with another hat trick. Eli McLaughlin responded with a hat trick of his own, setting the offensive tone early for the Chiefs. Six Nations also got a goal each from Shayne Jackson, Randy Staats, Dhane Smith, and Larson Sundown. Warren Hill earned player of the game honors as he backstopped a stingy defense with 43 saves between the pipes. Cole Pickup led the Shamrocks with two goals on the night.
Eli McLaughlin arrived early as he used a stutter step dodge to spin his defender around and find space for his first goal of the series just over a minute into the game. McLaughlin followed four minutes later on another unassisted goal as he stepped right into a shot on the right side and make it 2-0 Six Nations five minutes into the game. An illegal cross checking penalty on the Shamrocks helped Randy Staats on the power play as he skipped a pass through the defense to find Shayne Jackson open on the backside with an open net and give the Chiefs a 3-0 lead with nearly 12 minutes gone in the period. The Shamrocks would respond though as the Chiefs found themselves in the penalty box as well, something that plagued them in game one. A Bryan Cole slashing penalty in a face off scrum ended with a power play goal by Mathieu Gautier off a slick behind the back from Jesse King. Another slashing penalty, this time on Steve Priolo, followed by offsetting roughing penalties on Cody Jamieson and Bennet Smith led to a four on three advantage for Victoria with twelve seconds left in the period. The Shamrocks took advantage as Jesse King used a back screen to find Marshal King on the doorstep and cut the Chiefs lead to 3-2 with a second left in the period.
The Chiefs struck first in the second as Lyle Thompson moved off a Randy Staats screen to create space up top and bury it five hole to make it 4-2 less than three minutes into the period. Victoria answered as Chris Wardle dropped a behind the back dime to Cole Pickup in front of the net who beat Warren Hill one-on-one to cut into the lead. A nice kick save by Warren Hill started the Chiefs in transition as the ball found Lyle Thompson off the bench and Thompson strolled in rhythm to a step down shot passed the goalie. Randy Staats joined the scoring as he worked off a Lyle Thompson screen and used an over the top jump shot to make it 6-3 Chiefs with just under ten minutes remaining in the period. The Six Nations defense was swarming all period and then got involved in the offense as Steve Priolo found Dhane Smith on the long outlet and Smith sprinted to bury his first goal of the series on the breakaway to extend the lead to 7-3 Chiefs and cause a goalie change from Victoria as Cam Dunkerley entered the game to close out the second period.
Lyle Thompson stayed hot as he used a swim move to lose his defender and pulled up from the deep left side to skip one home and make it 8-3 Chiefs two minutes into the third period. Victoria answered a minute later as Cole Pickup was found in transition and beat Hill on the breakaway to cut the lead to 8-4 Six Nations. Eli McLaughlin responded with his hat trick as Randy Staats swung the ball to the wing and McLaughlin bobbled the ball driving to the net but somehow flung the ball in the air and caught it himself to finish over Dunkerley and make it 9-4 with just over nine minutes gone in the final frame. Another Chiefs power play earned by Shayne Jackson as he was pulled down driving to the goal resulted in a Larson Sundown’s first goal of the series as Sundown rebounded a Cody Jamieson shot off the boards and flung it to the back of the net to extend the lead to 10-4 with just over five minutes remaining in the game. The game got chippy towards the end and some physicality near the benches resulted in a 5-on-3 advantage for Victoria. But, the Chiefs defense killed the penalty until a fight broke out between the Chiefs’ Nonkon Thompson and Shamrocks’ Max Wilson with about three minutes left kept the power play going for Victoria. The two were jawing and exchanging checks before dropping the gloves and squaring off near the Shamrocks bench. That would be the fireworks to end the show as Thompson ran off to the locker room pumping up the crowd and Six Nations walked off the floor with the 10-4 victory to even the series at 1-1.
Next Up: Game 3 is scheduled for 8 p.m. on Monday, September 9 at Iroquois Lacrosse Arena in Six Nations.
