OLA junior B season kicks off

The OLA season kicked off with a pair of junior B games Sunday.

The Six Nations Rebels have a new coaching staff and several new players but they delivered the same old message when they opened their 2011 regular-season schedule Sunday night.

The Rebels defeated the Welland Warlords 13-4 in an Ontario Lacrosse Association Junior “ B” League game between South West Division rivals.

The victory extended the Rebels’ regular-season unbeaten streak to 24 games. They haven’t lost since June 7, 2009 when they were edged 7-6 by Owen Sound.

The Rebels won for new head coach Ron Chatelain and assistant coaches Cam Bomberry, Jason Johns and Murray Porter. Goalie coach Derek General is the only member of last year’s coaching staff returning to the team this year.

The Rebels never trailed the Warlords.

They led 2-1 at the end of the first period on goals by Tony Doxtator and Randy Martin.

The Rebels were off to the races when Brandon Montour and Vaughn Harris scored unassisted goals early in the second period.

Goals by Chris Attwood, Jacob Bomberry, Carney Johnson, Danny Vyse and Montour built the lead to 9-1 by the end of the second period.

Johnson, Attwood, Harris and Martin scored goals in the third period.

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In Guelph, a lapse in the second half of the first period proved costly to the Guelph Regals in their Ontario junior B lacrosse season opener Sunday at the Victoria Road arena.

The Regals surrendered five goals in the final 10 minutes of the first period, including four in the final five and a half minutes, in a game they eventually lost 10-8 to the St. Catharines Spartans.

“We’re definitely disappointed,” Guelph’s Jamie Speck said. “We ran with them the whole game and they’re expected to be one of the top teams this year. We really thought we had them in the third when we had it tied up, but what can you do? Two minutes left in the game, that’s lacrosse. It happens.”

“They’re not happy with the loss, they wanted the W,” Guelph coach Jimmy Leworthy said. “Spartans are a very good team. They’re expected to be one of the top teams in the province so they can take some pride in knowing that they’re running with these teams.”

After scoring the first three goals of the game, the Regals trailed 5-4 at the end of the first period and 7-6 at the end of the second. They did have the score tied twice in the third period, but the Spartans netted a pair of goals in the final 1:34 – the last one into an empty net – to claim the win.

To read the rest of the story by Rob Massey of the Guelph Mercury click here http://www.guelphmercury.com/sports/local/article/518293--guelph-regals-edged-in-season-opener