Northern Premier Hockey League

AKWESASNE, ON — More than 500 kilometres separated the Six Nations Ironmen from home. The result looked familiar. Six Nations defeated the Akwesasne Wild 7 to 4 in the second game of their NPHL Crossover Series, completing a two game sweep between clubs representing two prominent Haudenosaunee hockey communities. The Ironmen won the opening meeting 8 to 5 in Ohsweken before travelling east for the return matchup in Akwesasne. Two games, two Six Nations victories. Fifteen goals for the Ironmen across the series. And another successful chapter in the NPHL’s first season of competition bringing its Metropolitan and Capital branches directly together. Ironmen Finish What They Started In Ohsweken The first meeting provided a warning about how dangerous Six Nations could be when the game opened up. Akwesasne actually carried a 4 to 3 lead into the third period in Ohsweken. Then the Ironmen took over. Six Nations scored five times in the final 20 minutes and turned the deficit into an 8 to 5 victory. Tyler Hill scored three times in that opening matchup, while Joshua Barnes had three points for Akwesasne. The teams combined for 86 shots, with Six Nations holding a 46 to 40 advantage. Ironmen head coach Ryan Davis admitted afterward that even the victory left room for improvement, saying his group had produced a big third period but lacked some of the structure he wanted to see. Game 2 provided Six Nations with an opportunity to finish the job on the road. The Ironmen did exactly that. A Sweep Across Two Branches The crossover series was introduced this season as a way to bring the NPHL’s two branches together. Six Nations represents the Metropolitan side. Akwesasne represents the Capital side. The league paired them in a home and home series, while Woodstock and Durham make up the other crossover matchup. The NPHL described the format as its first direct competition between the Metro and Capital branches. For Six Nations, the first crossover experience could hardly have gone much better. Eight goals at home, Seven on the road, a sweep. There are no playoff implications attached to a two game November series, but there is value in seeing opponents that would otherwise remain on the other side of the NPHL schedule. And these two clubs brought more than league geography into the matchup. A Unique Hockey Connection There is something particularly interesting about Six Nations and Akwesasne meeting in senior hockey. Six Nations of the Grand River is home to all six Haudenosaunee nations and is the most populous First Nation community in Canada. Akwesasne is a Kanien’kehá, or Mohawk, community along the St. Lawrence River. Its territory is uniquely divided by the borders of Ontario, Quebec and New York State, even though Akwesasne remains one community connected by culture, family and history. That makes this more than two senior hockey teams that happened to be placed together on a schedule. These are clubs representing communities with deep Haudenosaunee roots, meeting in a league that is increasingly stretching across different regions of Ontario and eastern Canada. The roughly 545 kilometre trip between the two markets also makes it unlikely to ever feel like a traditional local rivalry. That is exactly what makes the crossover format interesting. It creates games that ordinarily would not happen. Akwesasne Had A Chance To Answer The Wild entered the return meeting knowing exactly what had gone wrong in Game 1. They had led after 40 minutes, they had produced five goals, they had been one period away from opening the crossover series with a victory. Then Six Nations scored five in the third. Game 2 was Akwesasne’s opportunity to answer on home ice. Instead, the Ironmen found seven more goals. The Wild scored four, but once again that was not enough offence to keep pace with Six Nations. Across the two games, Akwesasne scored nine times. That would normally give a team a reasonable chance to come away with something. Six Nations scored 15, that was the difference. Six Nations Keeps Showing Its Offensive Depth The Ironmen have already established that they can score this season. They opened the crossover series with eight against Akwesasne. They later put seven and 11 on Woodstock over consecutive nights. Even in their recent 7 to 3 loss against Strathroy, the larger body of work has shown a lineup capable of creating offence from several areas. The crossover sweep adds another example. Scoring eight in one meeting can be dismissed as one wide open afternoon. Putting seven more on the same opponent in the return game is harder to ignore. Six Nations found a formula that worked against Akwesasne twice. The Crossover Series Is Doing Its Job The NPHL created these games to connect its branches. That may sound simple, but it matters for a senior league with teams spread across a large geographic footprint. Most clubs naturally develop their strongest rivalries against opponents they see repeatedly. Crossover games provide something different. New buildings. Different players, different styles. Long road trips. And matchups that would otherwise exist only if teams eventually met much later in meaningful competition. Six Nations and Akwesasne gave the league exactly that. The scores were high, the games connected two distinct parts of the NPHL. And the second matchup brought an Ontario based Metro club roughly 545 kilometres east to one of the most geographically unique Indigenous communities in North America. That is a worthwhile addition to the schedule. Ironmen Leave With Both Wins For Six Nations, however, the history and geography can be appreciated after the final horn. The hockey result remains straightforward. The Ironmen wanted two games, they won two games. Eight to five in Ohsweken, Seven to four in Akwesasne. The series finished 2 to 0, Six Nations outscored the Wild 15 to 9. And after losing its previous Metropolitan matchup to Strathroy, the road victory provided the Ironmen with a good way to get back into the win column. OHD Takeaway The first NPHL Crossover Series between Six Nations and Akwesasne belongs to the Ironmen. Six Nations won 8 to 5 at home and followed it with a 7 to 4 victory in Akwesasne to complete the sweep. Fifteen goals across two games made the Ironmen’s offensive advantage difficult to overcome. But there was also something bigger about the matchup. Six Nations of the Grand River and the Mohawk Territory of Akwesasne are separated by hundreds of kilometres, yet both carry deep Haudenosaunee hockey connections. The NPHL crossover schedule brought them together twice. Six Nations made the most of it. Two communities, Two branches, Two games, Two Ironmen wins.

TWEED, Ont. — Halloween may have been over, but the Sunday Scaries were very real for the Smiths Falls Rideaus. The Tweed Oil Kings exploded for 12 goals Sunday afternoon at the Municipality of Tweed Community Centre, handing Smiths Falls a 12 to 2 loss and delivering an emphatic response after falling to Deseronto in their previous outing. Colin Doyle led the way with a six point afternoon, finishing with a goal and five assists. Barret Joynt scored twice and added three helpers for five points, while Mac Lowry, Dawson Ellis and Hayden Blackburn each scored twice. Eight different Oil Kings found the back of the net. Tweed also went 3 for 5 on the power play and outshot Smiths Falls 36 to 23. For a Rideaus team that arrived in Tweed having won its first four games, it was an afternoon that went sideways quickly. Tweed Gets Back To Oil Kings Hockey The last time Tweed took the ice, things did not go particularly well. Deseronto came into the Tweed Community Centre and left with a 7 to 2 victory in a game that became increasingly emotional and penalty filled. Sunday offered a response. And it was a loud one. Tweed scored three times in the first period, five more in the second and added another four in the third. There was no prolonged stretch where Smiths Falls could settle into the afternoon. Every time the Rideaus looked for a way into the game, another Oil King seemed ready to jump over the boards and add to the damage. That is much closer to the identity Tweed showed through its opening two victories. Three Goals Start The Afternoon Joynt opened the scoring from Jakob Brahaney and Doyle. Douglas Little followed with his first of the season, with Joynt and Colin Van Den Hurk picking up the assists. Then William Sirman joined the scoring with his first as an Oil King, finishing a setup from Van Den Hurk. Three to zero after one. Interestingly, Smiths Falls actually held a 12 to 9 advantage in first period shots. Evan Morrison took care of everything at the Tweed end. At the other end, the Oil Kings were clinical. Nine shots. Three goals. The Rideaus had already been given an idea of what kind of afternoon this might become. Five Goal Second Breaks It Open If there was any question left after the first, the second period answered it. Doyle scored on the power play from Elijah and Jakob Brahaney to make it 4 to 0. Less than a minute later, Ellis scored from Elijah Brahaney and Brody Morris. Lowry then scored twice, the first on the power play and the second at even strength. Joynt finished the period with his second of the afternoon. Eight to zero. Tweed outshot Smiths Falls 17 to 7 in the period and completely took over the game. This was no longer about protecting a lead. The Oil Kings were rolling. Doyle Was Everywhere A six point afternoon usually gets noticed. Doyle had a hand in half of Tweed’s goals. He assisted on Joynt’s opener. He scored the fourth goal himself. He helped set up both of Lowry’s second period goals. He assisted on Joynt’s second. Then he added another helper on Ellis’ third period goal. One goal, Five assists, Six points. It earned Doyle first star honours and served as another reminder of the depth Tweed has available when its offence starts clicking. This was not one player carrying the Oil Kings. But Doyle was at the centre of plenty of it. Joynt Puts Together A Five Point Afternoon Joynt was not far behind. He scored twice and added three assists. His opening goal got Tweed moving. His helpers contributed to Little’s goal and both of Lowry’s. Then he scored again before the end of the second. Five points. Second star honours. And one of the strongest performances on a day filled with them. For a senior team trying to build momentum early in the season, getting that level of production from multiple players in the same game is exactly what a coach wants to see. The Goals Came From Everywhere The final score was not built around one line. Joynt scored twice. Lowry scored twice. Ellis scored twice. Blackburn scored twice. Doyle, Little, Sirman and Dalton Anderson also scored. That is eight different goal scorers. Van Den Hurk finished with three assists. Jakob Brahaney had two. Elijah Brahaney had two. Little added two assists to his goal. Isaac Brown picked up a pair of helpers late. It was one of those afternoons where seemingly every line had something to contribute. That is dangerous territory for the opposition. Smiths Falls Finally Breaks Through The Rideaus eventually got on the board in the third period. Blake Armitage scored his first of the season from D. Bennett and Curtis Pilon. Andrew McKenney later added a power play goal from B. Boisclair and Armitage. But neither goal changed the direction of the afternoon. Blackburn scored twice in the third. Ellis added his second. Anderson scored his first. Tweed finished with four more in the period and reached a dozen. By the final horn, the only question left was how high the number would climb. Morrison Handles His End A 12 goal performance will naturally dominate the conversation. Morrison quietly gave Tweed exactly what it needed in goal. He stopped 21 of 23 shots for a .913 save percentage. That was particularly important in the first period, when Smiths Falls generated 12 shots and could have changed the feel of the game with an early answer. Morrison did not allow one. By the time the Rideaus finally scored, Tweed had already built an eight goal advantage. Good goaltending can get overlooked when the offence fills the scoresheet. It should not be here. Special Teams Make A Difference Tweed also made Smiths Falls pay with the man advantage. The Oil Kings went 3 for 5 on the power play. Doyle scored one. Lowry scored another. Blackburn added a power play goal late. Smiths Falls finished 1 for 5. That is a significant special teams advantage in a game where the penalty box became busier as the afternoon continued. Tweed’s ability to turn those opportunities into goals helped transform a strong start into a blowout. Tempers Rise Again As the score became increasingly one sided, the physical side of the game became more noticeable. The third period featured a fight between Gavin McDougall and Blake Ellis, with Ellis also receiving an instigator minor and game misconduct. Brody Morris was assessed several penalties during another heated sequence, including a misconduct. Smiths Falls’ Andrew McKenney later received a five minute major and game misconduct for high sticking. Tweed finished with 41 penalty minutes. Smiths Falls had 32. There is always going to be some edge in senior hockey. The important part for Tweed was that, unlike the loss to Deseronto, the penalties were not the defining part of the afternoon. The goals were. A Strong Response After Deseronto That may be the biggest takeaway for Brad Brooks and the Oil Kings. Tweed did not play well against Deseronto, The Bulldogs won 7 to 2. The Oil Kings lost control of parts of the game and spent too much time dealing with the emotional side of the night. Sunday was different, Tweed still played with edge. There was still plenty of physical hockey. But the Oil Kings controlled the scoreboard. They moved the puck, they finished chances, they produced on the power play, and when Smiths Falls tried to push, Tweed kept scoring. Good teams are going to have bad nights. The response matters. Twelve to two is quite a response. OHD Takeaway Smiths Falls came to Tweed with four straight wins. The Rideaus left after allowing 12. Doyle had six points, Joynt had five. Eight different Oil Kings scored. Tweed went 3 for 5 on the power play and got a steady 21 save performance from Morrison. Most importantly, the Oil Kings looked much more like themselves after a difficult loss to Deseronto. There was scoring depth, there was pace, there was bite. And there was very little doubt about the result after the second period. Halloween ended Saturday. Smiths Falls got one more scare on Sunday. Oil Kings 12, Rideaus 2.

AKWESASNE, Ont. — Ryan Spooner gave Arnprior another productive night. Akwesasne still found the stronger finish. The Wild defeated the Arnprior Rivermen 6 to 4 at A’nowara’ko Arena, scoring three times in the third period after Arnprior had battled all the way back from an early two goal deficit. Spooner finished with a goal and two assists and was named the game’s third star. But Akwesasne received timely scoring from throughout the lineup, including two goals from Joshua Barnes, while Isaac Barr and Mathieu Sabourin each recorded a goal and an assist. The result evened the season series at one win apiece. Akwesasne Strikes First The Wild controlled the scoreboard early. Barr opened the scoring from Gabriel Cooper and Sabourin. Then Sabourin made it 2 to 0, with Barr and Cooper picking up the assists. Akwesasne did not dominate the shot clock in the opening period. Both teams finished with 17 shots. The difference was finishing. The Wild converted twice. Arnprior did not. Rivermen Push Back In The Second Arnprior’s response came in the middle period. Thomas Vezina scored on the power play from Ethan De Haan and Spooner to cut the deficit to one. Barnes answered for Akwesasne to restore the two goal advantage. Then the Rivermen found another gear. Chris Newhook scored from Vezina and Spooner. Alexandre Cote followed from Ryan Egan. In a little over a minute and a half, Arnprior had turned a 3 to 1 deficit into a 3 to 3 game. That set up a wide open third period. Spooner Gives Arnprior The Lead Spooner had already contributed two assists. Early in the third, he added the goal. Newhook and Vezina set up Spooner for his third goal of the season, giving Arnprior its first lead of the night at 4 to 3. It completed an impressive Rivermen comeback. After falling behind 2 to 0 and later 3 to 1, Arnprior had scored three straight and put itself in position to take control. Akwesasne had another answer. Wild Score Three Straight Jake Cardwell tied the game from Ty Terrance and Jake Quesnel. Storm Adams then put Akwesasne back in front from Barnes and D. Vezina. Just over three minutes after Arnprior had taken the lead, the Wild were ahead again. Barnes later added his second of the night on the power play to make it 6 to 4. That final goal came during a chaotic closing stretch that included a five minute checking from behind major to Newhook and additional bench discipline assessed to Arnprior. The Wild took advantage and finished the night with the two goal victory. Spooner Continues To Produce Spooner’s three point night was another strong performance since joining the Rivermen. He assisted on Vezina’s power play goal. He helped set up Newhook’s second period goal. Then he scored the go ahead goal himself in the third. One goal, two assists, three points. In his first appearance with Arnprior earlier this season, Spooner made an immediate impact with a four point night. He continues to show why adding a player with his level of experience changes the look of a senior hockey lineup. Sunday’s result did not go Arnprior’s way. Spooner still gave the Rivermen exactly what they expected offensively. One Hundred Shots Between The Teams This was not a quiet hockey game. Akwesasne finished with 51 shots. Arnprior had 49. One hundred shots combined. Carlen Lyle stopped 45 of 51 for the Rivermen. Cory Garrow made 45 saves on 49 shots for Akwesasne. Neither goaltender had much opportunity to relax. The pace stayed high throughout the night, and both teams generated enough offence to keep the game moving from one end of the rink to the other. Garrow’s ability to settle things after Arnprior took the lead became especially important. The Rivermen did not score again after Spooner made it 4 to 3. Special Teams Finish Even Both teams went 1 for 4 on the power play. Arnprior’s man advantage goal came from Vezina in the second period. Akwesasne’s came from Barnes late in the third. So special teams were not the major separation point across the full game. The difference came at even strength and in the timing of Akwesasne’s response. Once Arnprior took the lead, the Wild scored three unanswered goals. That was the deciding stretch. A Physical Finish The game also became much more heated late. Arnprior finished with 45 penalty minutes compared with 12 for Akwesasne. Newhook received a five minute major and game misconduct for checking from behind. Arnprior was also assessed a bench minor, game ejection and gross misconduct late. There was already some physical edge earlier in the third, with Vezina and Félix Sauvé each receiving multiple penalties during the same sequence. For Arnprior, the frustration of seeing a third period lead disappear eventually became part of the story. That is something the Rivermen will want to clean up. Season Series Now Even Arnprior won the first meeting between these teams 5 to 3 on Oct. 17. Akwesasne answered this time. That leaves the season series tied 1 1. The first meeting belonged to the Rivermen. The second belonged to the Wild. And with both teams showing they can create plenty of offence, there is already enough evidence to suggest the next meeting could be just as entertaining. OHD Takeaway Arnprior did a lot right. The Rivermen erased a 2 to 0 deficit. They came back again after falling behind 3 to 1. Spooner had three points. Vezina had a goal and two assists. Newhook scored and helped set up the go ahead goal. And Arnprior generated 49 shots. But the game turned after Spooner gave the Rivermen a 4 to 3 lead. Akwesasne scored three straight, that was the difference. For Arnprior, the offence remains dangerous. For Akwesasne, the response was better. The Wild took the second meeting 6 to 4 and evened the season series. And once again, Spooner made sure his presence was impossible to miss.